One Last Rodeo
by StarksViolet
Summary: Extremis has finally caught up with me, and my mind is struggling to keep up, I should have had more time, but at least this way I get a say as to when and how I go out, right?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a new fic which I've become inspired to write...I know some of you are wondering what's happening with the sequel to The Avenged, well...to be honest, it's slowly happening! But alas! there is something else for you to read for those who love watching Tony suffer! As always there will be Pepperony, extra cheese and some misery as I love to see the hero fall, only to watch him rise, mightier than ever before!**

Pepper wanted more from me; she wanted me to be the man I knew I couldn't be for her. So here I was; standing at the precipice of the hardest decision I've ever been faced with.

I closed my eyes and prayed for the strength to find me, to aid me in the coming hours.

The sky darkened around me, the air was still, the day was merely an eerie afterthought.

'Tony, where are you?' Pepper's panicked voice rang through my ears; I could hear the confusion in her voice, the anger, regret. 'Tony please, please come home, don't do this.'

I replayed the message over and over again; there was nothing that could be done now. The decision was made, the plan was in motion. And so I stood in the darkness; watching, waiting.

'Jarvis, what's it looking like?' I asked quietly.

A gentle breeze picked up from within the stillness, the cold was refreshing on my bare skin, seldom did I find myself without my armour, seldom did I find an excuse to be without, today was an exception. I found no better way to face my enemy, than to face him on my terms.

'Chances of walking away from this are very slim, sir.' Jarvis said with a genuine hint of concern.

When had I written human emotion into Jarvis? I closed my eyes momentarily. The shrill truth in his words sent a chill through me.

'I highly recommend aborting this mission, sir.' Jarvis added.

'Duly noted.' I managed; the harshness of my own voice scared me.

I was deteriorating fast, a lot faster than I had anticipated.

'Sir, have you called Miss Potts?' Jarvis asked.

I looked down at the phone I was clutching in my hand. 'No, Jarvis, I haven't.' I replied. 'I don't have anything I need to say at this point, everything I've done in my life was leading up to this moment.'

'I believe you should be having this conversation with Miss Potts, I am merely a program after all.' Jarvis said firmly.

I laughed to myself, the irony of being Iron Man and having the companionship of a computer as a last conversation.

'Well, Jarvis, you and I have been through a lot, so I guess this is thank you.' I said with a smile on my face.

'Indeed, sir, we have made a good team.' Jarvis acknowledged.

'How far are they?' I asked kneeling on the ground.

I squinted trying to catch a glimpse of the impending doom with which I was faced.

'ETA is twenty-seven minutes, sir.' Jarvis replied.

I inhaled deeply, I felt the sharp pain sear through my chest, a knot formed in my throat, I felt sick, nerves and fear riddled my body.

'Sir, you still have time to leave.' Jarvis said to me.

I shook my head, if I hadn't have known better, I could have sworn that Jarvis was pleading with me.

'You know that I can't do that.' I whispered into the night.

'I will call Miss Potts for you, sir.' Jarvis said.

'No, don't do that.' I urged. Silence answered me, 'Jarvis?'

Nothing, no answer, did he leave me, for not accepting his offer? No, that wouldn't happen, he was _my _creation, he did what I programmed him to do he didn't _think._

'Jarvis?' I whispered. Desperation became evident to me as my voice cracked.

I looked around; I caught a small glimpse of a light flickering in the distance, one, maybe two miles away, coming fast.

I swiftly got to my feet, the blood rushed to my head, I felt as though I was challenging gravity itself, after a moment of swaying I straightened myself up and rushed for the cover of the nearby shrubs.

'Jarvis, I need you.' I found myself whispering; holding myself down, nausea filled my entire being. I crouched closer to the ground, resting my face on my knee.

A familiar roar sounded above me, the sound came to a halt not more than a yard away, the sudden movement had left my body dazed and struggling. I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate.

'Tony?' The mechanical voice yelled out from the darkness.

My heart sunk, Rhodey, why was he here, why did he come?

'Tony, I know you're here, you're making a mistake.' He spoke urgently.

I could hear the pleading in his voice.

My own voice wouldn't have had the strength to reply, nor did my body have the desire to move, I felt my knee give way and felt myself fall forward. I barely had enough warning to throw my hands out in front of myself to hold my body up.

'Tony?'

I heard Rhodey yell out again.

'Sir, my systems are online, there was a technical glitch.' Jarvis explained.

I closed my eyes, a sigh of escaped my lips, I silently sat in my spot, 'Jarvis, eliminate the signal, get him out of here.'

'Very well, sir.' Jarvis responded.

I saw Rhodey look away from my direction and take off into the night sky.

'What happened?' I asked Jarvis as I tried to raise myself from the crouching position in which I found myself.

'My transmission from you was cut momentarily. I'm not able to find a conclusion as to what caused it.' Jarvis replied.

'I know what caused it.' I said quietly, I made my way to the location I was in earlier, 'my brain is failing to hold the extremis, and my mind is deteriorating.'

Jarvis' silence was only matched by my sheer panic at what was happening to me. As far as egotistical, self-loving individuals went, I was at the pinnacle of that class. But I loved my mind more, the things which I had been able to create and envision with a simple thought, there were none who couldn't compare, save for my father and even perhaps Banner. But that was all slowly fading away from me, and it was terrifying.

'I'm sorry, sir.' Jarvis offered.

I smiled, 'nothing to be sorry about, I did this, I knew there were going to be consequences.'

'There should have been more time.' Jarvis said.

I nodded, 'yes, this is far too quick, but at least this way I get a say as to how and when I go out, right, a few more months and I'd be getting spoon fed by Dummy.' The thought alone chilled me to the bone.

'They're coming.' Jarvis announced.

'Good, get everything ready Jarvis, one last rodeo.' I called upon the suit and it began to assemble around me. I took my stance, ready for them.

**Let me know what you thought about this piece :) I'm very excited to see what people think!**


	2. Chapter 2

***three months earlier***

'Tony?'

'Tony?'

I felt someone touch my arm, I tried to shake free of the haze, of the darkness which clouded my mind like a thick fog. I sat silently willing my body to act, to move, any motion to indicate that my mind still had some kind of connection to my body.

Another touch.

I shook myself free finally. Peppers face was mere inches from mine. Her hot breath dragging my mind back the present.

'Tony, what's happening?' She asked in a hushed tone. Her hand shook mine.

'Nothing.' I blinked away the dark haze which was a constant reminder of my stupidity. I pulled back from her gaze.

'Tony, please.' She whispered.

I couldn't stand to look at her, the concern written on her face made my heart drop.

I felt her hands on my face; I closed my eyes against her touch. She turned my face toward her, my eyes found hers. Tears had formed in the corners of her eyes. Her hands were softy shaking against me.

I took hold of her hands in mine and kissed them.

'What's wrong, Tony, please.' She began to sob.

I pulled her into my arms, 'please don't let yourself worry about me.'

She sighed so heavily that I thought she had stopped breathing, she pulled back to look at me, her eyes full of pleading.

'Not worry?' she shook my hands in hers, 'Tony how can I not worry?' she stood up and placed one hand on her hip and ran her other hand through her hair.

I watched her silently pace, her back to me, I felt guilty and horrible for causing her this pain.

She turned briskly to look at me.

'How can I not worry?' She asked sitting down beside me again, 'you black out for minutes on end, you don't even know that it's happened, I hear you yelling in your sleep, I've seen the bloody tissues in the bathroom, something serious is happening to you.'

She was no longer looking at me, her eyes now found a spot on the floor on which she drew all her attention, I looked down and noticed what she was looking at, blood droplets. One by one more and more fell.

I clasped my hand to my face; Pepper was gone from my side before I got a chance to look up. I felt her link her arm under mine, she handed me a tissue as she pulled me to my feet. I heard her soft sobs continue all the way to the bathroom, she motioned for me to sit down; she took my hands and wiped them from the blood which ran down my fingers.

'Hold this to your nose.' She whispered placing a tissue in my hand and guiding it to my face.

I did as she said.

She sat beside me, silence engulfed the bathroom. I dared not speak, I didn't know what I could say, nor whether there was anything which could be said to make this better.

I looked down at my feet; the sudden loss of blood and the already weakened state I found myself in, only worsened my condition. I breathed in deeply, begging the pain to subside, not here, not around Pepper.

'I just,' I began; I paced my words and my breathing, 'I need to get to my workshop.'

'No, you need to get some rest.' She replied.

'Pepper, please, please trust me.' I hated the vulnerability, my own mortality. Pleading for my own sanity.

She wasn't going to give up, I knew this conversation and I knew where this was going.

'Tony, I really don't think-'

'Stop, Pepper stop, I am not doing this.' I realised I had raised my voice, I didn't see any other way to get her to leave me alone. I heard her sharp gasp; I knew how much it hurt her. At this point in time, there were much worse things to come. I didn't have the luxury of time to sit around and plead.

I stood up, the world rushed around me in a blur. I staggered through the bathroom and made it to the door. I composed myself.

I turned to look at Pepper, 'I know what I'm doing Pep, I promise.'

She sat on the edge of the bathtub, looking at me with pleading eyes, the sorrow bore through me. She wiped the fresh tears from her cheeks and smiled weakly at me.

'I love you.' I said firmly.

'I love you.' She whispered back.

I turned from her, I took a deep breath and left. I knew what this did to her, I could see the pain in her eyes. I could see that there were questions on her mind, questions she never voiced. There was much more that she wasn't saying. I didn't blame her, I couldn't. I made my way down to the shop, there was something which I hadn't tried, and I had to give it a shot. I owed it to myself, I owed it to Pepper.

**So this was a short one, but in retrospect, there will be more coming, I'm quite passionate about this particular fic and am eager to continue asap! thankyou for all the wonderful reviews which have already made it to my inbox! very exciting! and thank you all so much for taking the time to not only read but review as well :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**The darkness continues... as you may have noticed this piece has a much darker undertone than the previous work I've published, however if anyone wishes for some happier words, I'll be writing something more cheery eventually, but for those who, like me, enjoy the suffering of Tony Stark, stay with me fo a lot more is on its way! **

I made my way to the top floor of the tower; I stood looking out at the cityscape. I couldn't help but smile to myself, the glistening windows reflected the beauty of the world in which we lived. Darkness lurked beneath the serene city, but the people fought relentlessly to make the world better than what we had allowed it to become. Not heroes; people, simple real people.

I sighed loudly; my breath fogged up the window, and as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. A sickly reminder of the fading existence I was faced with.

My mind wandered from the first time I stepped into my father's shoes, to the first time I felt like I was doing something noble. Pepper was always there beside me, beautiful, powerful Pepper. When she set her heart on something she made sure it was done, that is why I shudder to think how she will fare when she finds out that my fate is already written. There's nothing that neither I, nor she can do to change it.

The ever challenging situation with which I found myself faced, was a continuous uphill battle. My head was pounding, I remembered the drawer of medicinal goods in the bathroom. I took a bottle of scotch from the bar and made my way to the back.

'Jarvis, dim the lights please.' The sound of my voice seemed like a distant memory of a friend long gone. I barely recognised myself.

'Certainly, sir.' Jarvis obliged.

I took a packet of Advil from the drawer, sat down against the bathroom door and leaned back against the cool wood. I took two pills from the packet and put the bottle of scotch to my lips. The harsh liquid soared down my throat, soothing the ache which burned inside me.

'How long until the symptoms cease?' I asked quietly.

'Based on the tests I've conducted, I would estimate three months at most.' Jarvis replied.

I nodded; confirmation of the end. I sat silently drinking away the day. What more could I do.

My introspection was interrupted by hushed voices as they crept through the cracks. I raised my head slightly to focus on the voices.

Pepper and Rhodey.

I leaned back against the door, I had no intentions of facing Pepper right now, especially not since I'm pretty sure I am completely drunk, and incapable of standing up right now.

'Has he told you anything?' I heard Pepper ask Rhodey.

A shuffling of feet indicated that they made their way and sat down at the bar. I could still hear them, but only just.

'No, nothing.' Rhodey replied.

'This is ridiculous, he's so stubborn, he'd rather die than let anyone in.' Pepper said in a slightly raised voice.

'Have you asked him?' Rhodey asked her.

'Of course I have, every day.' Pepper replied.

Even without seeing her, I could hear the frustration in her voice, I could picture the small crinkle on her brow which appeared whenever she was stressed, I felt completely guilty, because of me she stressed more and more every day.

'What did he say?' Rhodey asked Pepper.

'He never says anything, he tells me not to worry.' She answered him.

'What _is_ actually going on? Rhodey asked.

I looked down at my knees, here we go. Pepper is going to reveal everything, not only will _she_ be on my back all the time; Rhodey will be there too, on my case about not telling Pepper.

'He's really sick; I think it's got to do with that serum.' I could barely hear her.

'The Extremis?' Rhodey questioned.

A silence fell upon the house; I could only imagine that she had nodded.

'What's happening?' Rhodey asked.

She took a while to reply.

'He's losing consciousness, for a few minutes or so, at first I thought he was just deep in thought, thinking up plans and ideas for the suits, but then I'd catch him staring off into space every so often without even realising that it happened when he comes back.' She paused. 'It's happening more often.' Another pause. 'I've seen him in the bathroom hiding away the fact that he has nose bleeds on an almost daily basis.'

'Has he said anything about that?' Rhodey asked.

'No, nothing.'

Rhodey cleared his throat, 'these kind of things are generally associated with the brain, aren't they? I'm sure he knows this.'

'Of course he knows, that's why it worries me, he knows and he hasn't said anything.'

Brilliant, intuitive Pepper, I smiled to myself. She knew more than anyone ever could about me, I cursed myself on a daily basis for taking so long to have realised how important she is to me. Now as the sands ran scarce, my heart ached at the idea of leaving her behind. The strongest woman I have ever known, the only woman, aside from my mother, who could keep up with me, and who chose to do so, because she cared. Why had I been so blind?

'He knows something serious is happening to him, and he won't tell me.' Pepper started crying. It broke my heart to hear her. I couldn't bare it. I took a long swig of the scotch; my own eyes began to water.

She held back the remainder of the details from Rhodey, I mentally thanked her.

No more was said; the quiet sound of weeping was all that I heard. I closed my eyes and let my own tears fall silently. I drank and drank until there was nothing left. I felt my head loll forward forcing me to look down at my legs. My jeans were covered with dark red droplets. I rolled my eyes, again. I pulled the cuff of my sleeve down over my hand and wiped my face. She was right. The symptoms were occurring more often. This was happening too fast.

**So another chapter is down, I hope you like the misery as a lot more is on its way! YAY :) hahaha, I love Tony angst!**

**Thank you for the reviews for the first two chapters, it's very comforting knowing there are people out there who love reading sad stories as much as I do haha!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you SO much for the wonderful reviews! Here's another chapter for you my lovelies :)**

* * *

'Jarvis, I have an idea, can you bring the hospital logs up?' I spun my chair around to face the screens in my workshop.

Jarvis lit them up with endless reports and files from the requested hospital logs.

'What is it that you're looking for sir?' Jarvis asked as I set up search filters.

'I'm looking for something which may be able to supress the effects of the extremis.' I sat leaning forward, looking eagerly at the screens waiting for the results to come up, 'supress them long enough to set everything else in place at least.' The filters were in place, ready to show me what I needed to see.

'What are you planning on using?' Jarvis asked.

I shook my head; the results were not what I was hoping for. 'This is going to be a lot more difficult than I had anticipated.' I flicked through a few more articles, 'I was planning on using this mainframe as a backup, but I'm going to have to find some kind of suppressant to hold the symptoms off long enough so that I can work out how to sync myself with this system.' I leaned back in my chair.

'I need to work out how to stop this, I need more time.' I couldn't think. I had already started losing my mind; it was literally slipping away from me. I stood up and paced back and forth, this was a practice my father often demonstrated. I remembered my mother always laughing at him, telling me that one day I would be the same. I remember laughing it off; I told her I would never live a stressful life like he did. I laughed now. The last few years of my life were up and down, if my father were here what would he think? Would he be watching me pace back and forth now, thinking what a mess I'd made of everything? _I _was looking at myself thinking what a mess I'd made of things. First with the palladium, and then with Ivan Vanko. And now with the Extremis. Mistake after mistake. I rubbed my face.

'Have you thought of contacting Dr Banner?' Jarvis offered.

I stopped pacing, and found myself laughing out loud, the thought of actually asking for his help was a joke. 'I can just see how that will work out.' Sarcasm was my forte. 'Dr Banner's field of study isn't going to be of use to me in this endeavour.'

'On the contrary sir, can he not be of assistance with the suppressant you wish to create?' Jarvis offered.

I looked back at the screens and the data which consumed them, 'I suppose it can't hurt asking.'

'Shall I contact Dr Banner?' Jarvis asked.

'Might as well.' I walked over to the display of suits against the back wall. I found no better way to pass the time than to work on something I loved. I opened the case of the Mark I armour; I ran my fingers over the rough surface. It had been more than four years since I had created "Iron Man", an act of desperation turned into the best thing I had ever done, thanks to an amazing man who saved my life. I smiled to myself; the wall of armour highlighted the creativity and genius which I so desperately wished to hold on to.

'Tony?' Bruce answered the call.

'How have you been, green man?' I asked teasingly.

I heard a soft chuckle on the other end. 'Still green, how about you?'

'Ah you know, rich, brilliant, the usual.' I said with a grin.

Bruce laughed, 'I suspect this isn't a social call, Tony?'

If anyone was as clued in to me as Pepper was, it was Bruce. I cleared my throat, 'no, I was hoping you would be able to come to New York, I was hoping to get your assistance on a matter which has been weighing on my mind.'

'Of course, when should I come?' Bruce said at once.

'Come whenever suits you, although it would be preferable if you would come sooner rather than later.' I said casually, 'I'll have a plane waiting for you at the airport in two hours, is that enough time?'

Bruce's silence made me laugh out loud, 'as if you don't know by now that I know everything.'

'How could I forget?' Came Bruce's amused reply. 'I'll be there.'

I laughed in return, 'good, I'll see you soon.'

I pulled back the main screens and looked around at the suits, 'Jarvis bring up any and all information on gamma radiation, also anything which may be related, I need everything.'

Within seconds, the screens were populated with hundreds if not thousands of articles relating to gamma radiation. Captain America, the Hulk, Hydra, anyone and everyone who ever attempted to meddle with this dangerous product. I looked through the endless articles, I read as many as I could, most were scholarly articles, opinion pieces and some were downright ridiculous hypotheses. I read and read until I felt my eyes burning.

I stood up and ran my hands through my hair, 'Switch it off Jarvis, I'm done for tonight.'

I was plunged into darkness as the lights in the workshop shut down, I made my way up to the top floor of the tower. Tiredness crept up on me faster and faster as the days progressed. As much as I hated admitting weakness, I needed Pepper, I needed her here, with me. I pushed down the feelings of fatigue and forced myself to sprint up the stairs instead of the elevator.

Pepper was seated by the window, looking out over the city. She sat silently reading a book, I smiled to myself. A first edition copy of Sherlock Holmes, I had bought that for her a few years back, a present to make up for missing a really important conference she had set up.

'Tony.' She got up and made her way to me, I took her in my arms, and she leaned her face against my chest.

'Let's go to bed.' I whispered in her ear, I felt her nod.

Together we walked to our room, words had no meaning here, they had no place in this intimate moment. We lay side by side, looking into each other's eyes. I could see the longing to speak in her eyes, and I guess she saw the pleading to leave it be, just for tonight. Tomorrow we would talk, tomorrow she may ask her questions, and I may answer. But for tonight, words would not be welcome.

I pulled her closer against my body; I closed my eyes and kissed the top of her head. This, right now was the reason I had called Bruce, I needed to find something which would work. I had hopes that tomorrow would bring a new day and new hope. Because this moment right here is worth everything in the world.

* * *

**This chapter was slightly more sappy than what I would usually write, but fear not, more angst/feely moments are on the way! I'm looking forward to hearing from you, and any feedback/ideas are always appreaciated. If there's anything anyone would like to see specifically written into this fic, i'm very open to suggestions :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for your very passionate reviews; i've tried to implement as much as i could that was requested, and more is on the way :) This is a slighlty longer chapter than the previous ones, hope that's ok!**

I rose early the next morning. It was more than difficult to sleep with the horror of the dreams which chased me. There was nothing that I wanted more than to sleep beside Pepper for as long as time permitted. But as it were, darkness was not a friend of mine. I dreamt all night about dying. That wasn't the worst of it, it was the method in which I met my demise, a collection of scenarios ranging from being killed back in the cave with Yinsen, or being killed by the War Machine when he was being controlled by Vanko. But the most recent, most terrifying way in which I met my end was a bomb which destroyed the Malibu mansion along with Pepper and me in it. I woke in a cold sweat. I sat at the foot of the bed looking down at the floor. Peppers arms found their way around my waist.

'Come back to bed.' She whispered in my ear.

I turned to face her; she finally looked as though she had gotten a good night sleep. I knotted my fingers through her hair and pulled her into a kiss. It was the most phenomenal experience of my life; she was my saviour in so many ways. She pulled back to look at me, a smile crept across her face. I knew she felt the same. I smiled back at her.

'I've got some work to do, I love you.' I whispered in her ear, embracing her once more.

'It's only six.' She said trying to pull me back into bed.

'I know but Banner is going to be here in a few hours, I thought I would get started before he gets here.'

'Oh, I didn't know he was in New York.' She sat up beside me.

I shook my head, 'he wasn't. I asked him to come.'

She smiled, 'good, you'll have company; I've got some meetings I need to supervise.'

* * *

I spent the remainder of the morning pulling apart the Hot Rod and examining the engine, it was one of those things I found incredibly soothing, no matter what the day threw at me, coming down here and working on this car made me forget.

Happy announced that Bruce had arrived; I made my way down to the foyer to meet them. Bruce and Happy walked up through the dozens of business men, a small crowd had formed to watch his arrival, no doubt a few Hulk fans, and probably one or two people who disliked the whole Avengers team.

I laughed at his awkwardness; I made my way down to them, 'need some saving there, Banner?'

Happy looked as amused as I was, we shook hands and made our way through the crowd which was now taking photos of us as we walked.

'Just another day in the life of Tony Stark.' Happy announced to Bruce.

He nodded, 'I imagined so.' Bruce laughed.

'Is Pepper ready boss?' Happy asked walking toward the elevator with us.

I shrugged. 'She will be soon, I presume.'

Happy nodded and made his way to the top floor while Bruce and I made our way to the workshop.

'I like the café you've got going on down there, a little Stark ego at work?' Bruce asked with a grin.

The doors opened up to the workshop, I laughed, 'you know it.'

I walked over to my desk; I pulled up a chair for Bruce. He sat down beside me; he put his glasses on and took to looking over the files I had brought up earlier.

'Gama radiation?' he questioned me.

'Just research, I'm looking for something to supress some symptoms, something powerful enough.' I explained. I retrieved a folder from the drawer underneath my desk and handed him some hard copies of a few articles I had gotten from S.H.I.E.L.D the last time I was there.

He nodded taking them from me, 'ok, but you're going to have to be more specific, I'm assuming you need something chemical otherwise you wouldn't have called me.' He flicked through the documents.

I nodded, pulling up the rest of the articles I had been reading the night before. 'I called you because I trust you, and you're the only person, aside from me, who is crazy enough to try experimental treatments on themselves.' I said truthfully.

'Well, yes, in that case you've called the right person.' He laughed nervously. 'You're not planning on Hulking up are you?'

I laughed, 'no, of course not, that's your specialty big man.' I pulled up the last three months of data relating to my condition and swiped them over to his screen for easier viewing.

He looked at the data intently, he sat silently for minutes observing and calculating, he furrowed his brow, finally looking up at me. 'Whose file is this?'

I knew he was good, he confirmed Jarvis' idea that he could help me. Without even telling him he knew exactly what we were dealing with, just not with whom.

I leaned back in my chair, 'it's a severe condition, the cerebral cortex is failing, this person has less-'

He cut me off, '-than three months, who is it?' The conversation was no longer light hearted.

Of course I had to tell him, there was no way he could help without knowing all the facts, _I _didn't work without knowing all the facts, I sighed, 'it's me, my data.' I said simply.

I remained focused on the screens; I could feel his eyes on me.

'Tony,' he began.

There was only so much one could say when given a situation like this. It took me more than two weeks to accept it and begin trying to find solutions.

'It's the Extremis, it's not as,' I rubbed my temple, I hated saying it aloud, 'well not as flawless as I thought it would be. I made a mistake in the calculations.' I admitted.

He shook his head, 'no, I don't think you made a mistake, the extremis is working perfectly, but the human brain just can't sustain something like this.' He explained.

I nodded, 'not for long periods of time anyway.' I slumped back in my chair, 'I've looked into everything, and it's not something I can reverse, or switch off.'

'We'll find something.' Bruce said finally. 'We will.'

I offered a weak smile, 'that's why we're here.'

'Firstly I need to know everything, as much as you can tell me, I'll draw up some ideas, run a few tests alongside yours and we'll see what we're dealing with.' He brought up a new screen, he was eager to start this project, and I was happy to have him. I had no energy left to hit any more brick walls, I sat up, ready to offer any answers he needed.

'What symptoms are you currently experiencing?' He asked.

'The blackouts have been happening more frequently, they usually last between two to three minutes, when I regain consciousness I feel exceedingly exhausted.' I stopped to give him some time to note everything down. 'Over the last few weeks I've been finding it hard to stay focussed, my vision gets dim around the edges before I black out, there have been frequent nose bleeds, I don't know how much blood I lose each time, but enough that it weakens me.'

'How long has that been happening?' Bruce asked looking at me intently.

'Four weeks.'

He nodded, 'what about the fatigue?'

I leaned back in my chair, 'only recently, last five or so days, I feel that the condition is worsening much faster than I had anticipated.'

'It sounds like it, what have you tried to do so far?' Bruce asked. He brought up the results of the last three months of tests I had done.

'I've tried flushing my system and getting incredibly drunk, which doesn't take much these days, thanks to this.' I said with a smirk.

'Always looking for the bright side.' He laughed.

'Indeed.' I nodded.

'Well, what did you have in mind?' Bruce looked at me.

I brought up the articles on gamma radiation and several on palladium. I swiped them over to his screen. 'Gamma radiation was my first thought, mainly because of its resilience against other elements. But then I reconsidered and looked into palladium.' I swiped more theories on palladium over to Bruce's screen.

'Isn't palladium what nearly killed you from your original reactor core?' Bruce looked over the files.

'Yes.' I said.

'I know what you're thinking, but it's not worth it.' Bruce said looking at me searchingly.

I nodded, I leaned my elbows on the desk rubbing my face, I looked back at Bruce, 'that's all I've got, whatever we do will be definitive.'

'It won't resolve anything, it will kill you.' Bruce said without hesitation.

I felt frustration creeping into me, 'I'm not looking for a cure, I'm looking for time.' I heard myself shout. I said more than I needed to. I immediately regretted it.

'Time?' Bruce clued in straight away, 'Tony, what are you talking about, time for what?'

I stood up, I was definitely losing it. I had never slipped up like that, 'time to finish everything.'

'What aren't you telling me about this condition?' Bruce turned side on to look at me.

'There's no way to cure it, it's too late.' I said simply.

'Why is it too late?' Bruce questioned me.

I brought up the data from the last three months; I pulled up a graph within the file, I brought Bruce's attention to a dramatic decline on the lower part of the graph. 'That is my brain activity.' I pointed to a blue line, 'this is the extremis.' I pointed to the green line, Bruce examined the results, he rubbed his temple. 'It's overtaking your brain activity.' He said simply.

I nodded, 'there's no turning this back, I just need to slow it down.' I said quietly. 'I need more time.'

Bruce sat speechlessly, he looked over and over the results, flicking between the screens, pulling up the articles I had collected. He bowed his head, 'we'll figure something out.'

He clapped my knee, 'we're the two smartest people in America, we'll figure something out.' He said passionately.

I laughed, 'I'm counting on it.'

We looked back at the screens before us. We sat silently looking at all the data, my life. I felt pang of guilt clutch at my chest; Pepper didn't know the half of it, and despite what Bruce thought, he didn't either. Eventually it would all come out, and I can only hope that one day they would forgive me, but for now I had to focus on figuring this out.

**So to finish this chapter off, i would like to say to the angst lovers, more is on the way, with a strong focus on Pepperony, i would like to see her reaction to some of his suffering, so it will be angsty, it will be dark! Hope you're all ok with that!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So ladies and gentlemen, i have decide to try out a multi POV story, specifically Tony and Pepper's POV throughout, this is Peppers view now, and i hope those of you who had made requests for certain things to be written in, find it to your liking :)**

Several weeks had passed since Tony and Bruce has started looking for a "cure".

Day after day I watched Tony become more and more tired, disinterested and disheartened. I knew the look which plagued his face. His once defining, sharp features had faded away, carrying only sadness and fear upon them.

His brown eyes which I so loved, looked longingly at me, he never said a word about what he and Bruce were doing, and he didn't have to.

'Tony, come to bed.' I stood at the entrance to his workshop.

Bruce must have gone to bed; no one had the stamina or the drive to sit down here as long as Tony did. It was just after four in the morning.

He didn't look back at me, nor did he acknowledge that I was there. I made my way over to him; the silence of the tower was only broken by the quiet thuds of my bare feet as I walked over to him.

I knelt beside him; I ran my fingers over his cheek. He sat absently staring at the wall ahead of him, my heart sunk, another black out. I lay my face on his lap, holding his hand in mine. I was never one for crying, I never deduced any point in it. Inadvertently I felt a single tear roll down my cheek, I hastily wiped it away. A sudden movement from Tony broke me from my trance.

'Hey, Pep.' He whispered pulling me up to sit in his lap.

He pulled me into an embrace, he laid his head against me chest, 'I'm so sorry.' He whispered.

'Nothing to be sorry for,' I replied kissing him on the top of his head. I breathed in his scent, his cologne, his hair, I forced myself to memorise every aspect of him.

'What time is it?' he asked looking around.

How long had he been sitting down here like this? 'Just after four,' I replied.

He nodded, 'let's go to bed.'

We stood up and slowly made our way to the elevator. I saw the distant look in his eyes, he wasn't back entirely. I knew how hard this was for him, much harder than it was for me watching him go through it.

We made it to the top floor and started making our way to the bedroom when I felt his arm tense, without warning he fell to his knees clutching his head with both hands. A gargled moan escaped his lips.

I dropped to my knees, immediately trying to gauge what was happening.

'Tony.' I said firmly, trying to gain his attention, 'what's happening?'

All that answered me was the same gargled response, I shook him by the shoulders, 'I don't know what to do, Tony, please, you need to tell me what to do.' I found myself panicking.

'Nothing, can't, can't do anything.' He stammered.

I remained on my knees, helpless, looking at him.

He cried out, still clutching at his head.

I clasped my hands to my mouth; there was nothing I could do to help.

'Tony.' I whispered.

He slumped forward, his arm in front of him on the ground; he let his head fall against it. I moved over to his side, I rubbed his back; he was no longer yelling, or moaning. I pulled him up toward me, his head lulled against my shoulder.

This was agony.

'You need to lie down, I can't get you there by myself, please Tony, can you walk?' I whispered in his ear.

He shook his head, if he wasn't lying against me I wouldn't have noticed.

'Stay here.' He breathed.

'No, we can't stay here; you need to get to bed.' I knew this was an impossible feat, I knew there was no chance he could stand up, much less walk. But I also knew that pushing him was the right thing to do, I couldn't let him give up, not in the lab, not with Bruce and definitely not here.

'Get up, you need to move,' I said firmly.

His weak nod broke my heart. I closed my eyes and breathed against his head.

I'm so sorry Tony, I whispered to myself.

'Nothing to be sorry for.' He said weakly.

I must have said it out loud. I looked down at his face, he smiled weakly at me.

'Come on.' I said with a smile.

As weak as he was, we made it, slowly but surely, as with everything in our lives, we relied on each other. There was nothing that Tony Stark couldn't do without Pepper Potts by his side. I laughed to myself; _he_ told me that, years ago. I knew that I was important to him; but in this moment, tonight in the hallway to _our_ bedroom, he fought for me, and for us.

I made sure he was comfortable before making my way to the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror, I examined my bloodshot eyes. I didn't realise I had been crying; I leaned against the sink, and looked down at the floor. What was I meant to do? Pretend that this wasn't happening, whatever _this_ was. He was weakening by the day, I didn't dare ask Bruce. I'm sure he's been sworn to secrecy anyway, and there was absolutely no point in asking Tony. If there was one thing he was even more brilliant at than everything else he was brilliant at, it was deflecting questions.

I splashed water on my eyes and made sure the evidence was gone. He had seen me cry more in the last few weeks than I had ever cried in my entire life and it killed me. I finally regained my composure and made my way back to bed. I climbed in beside him and gently moved his arm so I could lie on his chest; he pulled me closer to him. I felt his head turn toward me; he kissed the top of my head.

I closed my eyes, I knew that tomorrow would bring new challenges and we would face them together as we always had, but for now I could pretend that everything was ok, I placed my hand on the reactor as I did every night, satisfied that he was safe, I finally let sleep take me.

**This was a short but sweet chapter, i'm on to the next one already, so as always, and requests/ideas let me know, i'm always looking for ways to improve! :)**

**Thanks again for all your awesome reviews so far!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So we continue with Miss Potts for a few more chapters, and then we get into the nitty gritty/action :)**

'Good morning Miss Potts.' Jarvis' voice echoed through the room.

I sat up and instinctively felt around for Tony. I knew he wouldn't be there, though I checked every morning just the same.

'Good morning Jarvis, is Tony in the workshop?' I asked getting to my feet.

'No Miss Potts, he left early this morning, Bruce is asking for you when you're ready.' I nodded. Left early in the morning, I couldn't work out where he may have gone, or who with. Panic arose within me, 'he didn't drive did he Jarvis?'

'No, Mr Hogan picked him up at quarter to seven.' Jarvis replied.

I sighed, 'thank you Jarvis.'

I got dressed and made my way downstairs. Bruce was sitting at the kitchen bench with a coffee in his hand; he stood up to greet me. He handed me a cup of coffee.

'Jarvis told me how you like your coffee.' He offered a smile.

I took a seat beside him, 'Jarvis is a godsend.' I laughed.

'Did you see Tony this morning?' Bruce asked me.

'No, I thought he would have bumped into you along the way?' I took a sip of coffee. The warm liquid was more than perfect on a morning like this.

Bruce shook his head, 'no, he must have left early.'

'How is everything going?' I cut to the chase, I knew there was a slim chance he would actually say anything but last night terrified me, I needed more information.

He looked at me for a moment; he must have seen the desperation in my eyes because he put his cup down and sighed.

'Pepper.' He began.

I held my hand up to stop him, 'I know he's your friend, and I know he's sworn you to secrecy.' I looked down at my hands, 'everything he does is a secret, I know he does it to protect me, just promise me you both know what you're doing.' I said honestly.

A wave of relief washed over me, I needed to get that out in the open.

Bruce sat quietly for a moment, 'I called you down to talk to you.'

'I know.' I said quietly.

He took a sip of coffee and looked back at me, 'I'm not going to lie, you've seen it just as I have, his condition is deteriorating fast. And in a few months he might not even remember who he is, or who any of us are.'

I looked at him dumbfounded.

'You need to be aware of that, you need to know that it's a very possible reality.' He added.

I continued looking at him like an idiot.

'Pepper?'

I shook my head, and then nodded, I opened my mouth to speak, I remembered the conversation I had with Rhodey. We had both decided that surely he would know that his symptoms were related to something neural, and of course he would know how dangerous that could be. Neither of us anticipated that it could be this bad.

'Pepper?' Bruce repeated.

I rubbed my face with my free hand, the other still clutching the coffee cup.

'Is it the Extremis?' I finally managed.

'Yes.' He said simply.

My suspicions were confirmed. I bowed my head. I knew when he first told me about the serum that it was too good to be true.

'What is it doing to him?' I asked.

'You need to let him tell you that, I can't say any more.' He said apologetically.

I understood, I wouldn't expect him to betray his trust, 'thank you.'

We sat in the kitchen for more than an hour, I watched the clock tick away the minutes. Neither of us spoke, neither moved. We sat silently acknowledging the direness of the situation in which we were both merely players.

My mind wandered to every sickening possibility of what was happening to Tony. It was neurological damage, clearly affecting him physically as well, that much I figured out. But what was the end result? What would the coming months be like? He would weaken, and tire out, but then he'd be himself again, just not the enhanced version of Tony. I mentally scalded myself. That was idiotic, and wishful thinking at its best. If the extremis was just fading away and ceasing to work, neither he nor Bruce would be this concerned. No, this was much worse, he was probably dying, and in true Tony Stark nature, he would never let on, or let anyone in. I suspected that Bruce had his suspicions too, but Tony would never divulge everything to him. The conflicted look on Bruce's face told me all I needed to know. I felt sick. I closed my eyes against the impeding nausea.

I felt his hand on mine.

I looked up at him; he offered me a weak smile. I knew that he was thinking the same. Tony was dying, and there wasn't anything either of us could do.

'Mr Stark has entered the building.' Jarvis announced.

Both Bruce and I stood up; I took the cups to the sink and began washing them. Bruce went down stairs to his floor and left me to my thoughts. It wasn't long before Tony had come to greet me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, I couldn't help but smile. I turned around to face him. I looked up into his eyes and reached up to kiss him.

'We have a dishwasher.' Tony whispered in my ear looking over my shoulder.

I looked back at the watery mess.

'You clean when you're stressed.' He said casually.

He knew me so well, I pulled him closer. I couldn't imagine having to live a day without him, I closed my eyes and held on to him. He rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head. When the symptoms were absent, everything was normal, just as it should be. He pulled back and planted a kiss on my lips.

'I got you something.' He said with a grin.

He slipped his hand into his pocket and presented me with a small velvet box.

'What is this for?' I asked curiously.

I opened the box, the most beautiful diamond pendant shone back at me.

'It's because I love you, and because you put up with me.' He smiled, 'do you like it?'

Tony Stark was definitely a man who knew how to please a woman. His smile alone was more than enough to forgive the constant worrying, and stressing. He knew me better than I knew myself sometimes, so I simply nodded, words were not needed.

He took the necklace out of the box and motioned for me to turn around so that he could put it on; I smiled like a giddy school girl. The small heart shone exquisitely.

He leaned in and wrapped his arms around me, 'it looks perfect on you.' He whispered in my ear.

I turned to look at him, 'is this what you were doing this morning?'

He nodded, 'I didn't get a chance to do so last night.'

'Where did you find a jeweller open so early in the morning?' I quizzed him.

'I offered the man from Dior a handsome fee to give me a private viewing of his collection.' He smirked.

'Of course you did.' I laughed.

He smiled and walked over to the fridge; he took a bottle of water and Advil and sat at the bench.

I looked at him intently, searching for any signs of pain or suffering. I saw nothing. I dared myself the delusion that last night was a bad dream and the conversation with Bruce never happened. But I knew that wasn't the case. I walked closer to the bench so that I was standing directly in front of him. 'Promise me you'll beat this.' I said firmly.

He looked at me with a faint smile, 'I'm trying, Pep.'

**I'd love to hear what you think about this one, looking forward to your reviews!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So this one gets a little darker as we all who read this enjoy. So lets get into it. Also, I'm not a fan of character death either, well I am, but not in my fics anyway ahaha! So fear not, Tony shall live, but he won't have it easy by any means!**

I sat on the couch watching the latest news; reports from Afghanistan showed that Iron Man had averted an imminent disaster. I smiled at the grinning Tony Stark pictured in the news reports. At least he knew how to embrace being a celebrity hero.

'Hey, ready?' Happy yelled up the stairs.

I switched the TV off, and picked up my purse. 'Coming.'

We made our way down the flight of stairs, living in this tower made me feel as though I had become unfit. I insisted that we take the stairs whenever time would permit.

'The boss did well.' Happy said with a grin, nodding toward the heart pendant.

I smiled, 'yes, he did.'

'I'm glad it was worth getting me out of bed at six in the morning to buy jewellery.' Happy said with a huff.

'It could always be worse.' I said with a smile.

Happy nodded, we made it to the lobby and were greeted by reporters. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the duties as the CEO and PA of Tony Stark.

'It's good to see Iron Man back in the skies, is there any reason it took him this long to return?' A blonde woman for Time Magazine asked as she thrust a recorder in front of my face.

I poised myself, as I did thousands of times before, I smiled curtly, 'of course there is, Tania, Mr Stark has been working on the intel he'd received in relation to this raid, he needed to be sure, as did the government, that they were acting in the nation's best interests.'

Chatter erupted around us again as another woman from Rolling Stone magazine stepped up with her recorder, 'there are rumours that Mr Stark is gravely ill, what's your take on that?'

I must have frozen, because I felt Happy tugging at my hand discretely.

'No, no such rumours warrant any concern.' I tried to wave it off as a tabloid rumour. 'Mr Stark is perfectly healthy, so much so that he's jet setting around the world again.' I offered as sincere a smile as I could muster up.

The reporter looked at me intently; I could see that she wasn't one to take being lied to lightly. The others seemed quite pacified by my statement. I continued smiling as much as I could without over doing it as a few more reporters threw their questions at me.

'We have to go, Miss Potts.' Happy said loudly enough for the crowd to hear, I nodded and smiled at the reporters.

'Thank you.' I whispered to him as he rushed me through to the waiting car.

'Who could know?' I felt my face burning up, I slammed the door.

Happy drove away swiftly.

'No one knows.' I said sternly.

We both drove in silence.

Happy cleared his throat, 'maybe it's just conjured up rumours, he has been out of action for more than a month.'

I shook my head, 'no, she knew something.'

'How do you know?'

'I saw the look in her eyes, call it women's intuition.' I frowned, 'I need to see Tony.'

'You've got a full morning of meetings.' Happy protested.

'I can reschedule, I need to see Tony now.' I insisted.

Happy shook his head, 'if you cancel your meetings, whoever knows about what's going on will have their answer, you need to go on with your day as planned.'

I knew he was right, but despite that I still couldn't shake the desperation I felt to be with Tony, I needed to tell him, to warn him.

'Tony's safe, he's with Rhodey.' Happy said confidently.

I nodded, 'you're right.' I sat quietly, I looked down at my PDA, I flicked through the calendar and took mental note of which meetings could be rescheduled without raising suspicion. I settled on two meetings in the afternoon. A Japanese deal and a dignitary from Korea. Both were here for several more days, and they had indicated that they would prefer if Tony could attend. Luckily for me, Tony was on the news, being Iron Man, so rescheduling the meeting would be favourable. I sent through the confirmation of a new date, and promptly received a thankful reply.

Happy pulled in to the driveway of Stark International and walked around to open my door.

'You ready?' He asked holding his hand out.

'That was broadcast live; I'm going to get bombarded with questions.' I said helplessly, 'I don't know if I can do it.'

Happy knelt down beside me, 'you can, and you will. You're in charge of this company because you're amazing at what you do, you've done this before, and you can do it again.'

'This is different, and this is worse.' I said weakly.

I was shaken by a stranger, in my own territory. I didn't know if I could hold it together when it was something so personal. I found this difficult to deal with on my own, much less in the public eye.

Happy took my hands in his, 'trust me, you can do it, Tony wouldn't have put you in charge if he didn't think so.'

I inhaled deeply, 'Tony put me in charge because he was dying, and he was delusional.'

'You know that's not true, not even close.' Happy said firmly, 'he may have been sick, but he knew what he was doing.'

'I know I'm sorry.' I muttered.

Happy stood up and held his hand out, 'let's go.' He said with a smile.

I took his hand and we walked toward the building, a group of reporters stood waiting at the entrance, he shielded me as he pushed through the wall of people.

'Well, that was intense.' Happy laughed.

'I'm sure you're used to it.' I said breathlessly.

'I am with Tony, not with you.' He said still laughing.

I straightened my skirt and fixed my hair, 'there's a first for everything.'

Happy nodded, he led me up the stairs to my office, 'I'll pick you up after four, I'll be here.'

I hugged him goodbye and made my way into my office. I sat down and brought up the files of all the prospective clients. I sat back in my chair and viewed them for a few minutes.

'Miss Potts, Mr Stark is on the phone for you.' My assistant announced over the intercom.

'Thank you.' I said eagerly sitting up to take the call.

I pressed the button on the intercom and picked up the handset, 'Tony.'

'Hey Pep.'

His voice sounded harsh.

'Are you ok?' I whispered.

I heard him clear his throat, 'are you going to be home later?'

'Of course I am, why, what's wrong?' I turned away from the door, speaking quietly. He was always good at deflecting questions.

'Tony?' I began.

He cut me off, 'I need you.' He said simply.

I swallowed hard, 'I'll be there, I can leave now.' I insisted.

'No, no stay there, finish your meetings, Happy will be waiting for you at four, I'll see you soon.' He said quietly.

I ran my fingers through my hair, 'is everything ok?' I held my breath for his answer.

'I don't know.' His words were barely audible.

My heart sunk. 'Everything will be ok, I promise.' I said as firmly as I could manage. I almost convinced myself.

He laughed softly, 'I love you.'

I smiled, 'I love you too.'

He disconnected the call. I felt a sharp breath escape from my lips. I barely managed to end the call before I felt myself break down. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and tried to supress the sobs.

I quickly walked over to the door and flipped the lock. I found myself standing with my back against the door; it took all the strength I had no to collapse to the ground.

'Miss Potts, your nine o'clock is here.'

I turned my attention to the clock on the wall, ten minutes to nine, I walked over to the intercom; 'thank you, tell them I'll be out in a minute.'

After a few moments to myself, I cleaned my eyes and quickly reapplied my makeup. I made my way to the boardroom and greeted the group of businessmen and women.

'I'm so sorry to keep you waiting.' I said politely and took my seat at the end of the conference room.

'Mr Stark won't be joining us?' A middle-aged woman asked curiously.

I looked up at her briefly and offered her a smile, 'no, he's still debriefing with the US military in relation to the raid they conducted early this morning.'

Her snarky expression made my blood boil; I looked down at my notes before looking back up at the room of people.

'What's on the agenda today Mr Lazar?' I smiled at the minute keeper.

'We're discussing the role of Stark International in the wider sector.' He replied.

'Ok, let's get this started shall we?' I sat back and listened to the arguments put forward about the company, its shares and its future. It was all a blur to me, I couldn't recall whether I had agreed to anything, or declined anything. I merely sat there like a ghost, staring into nothingness. My mind was on Tony, and the conversation we just had. I felt like I couldn't breathe, I felt the onset of hyperventilation. I tried to steady my breathing. I gulped down at least half a gallon of water while I sat there, pretending to listen. Tony was right, these meetings were incredibly boring.

After three long hours the meeting was over and I rushed out of the room and locked myself in my office. This time I let myself slide down to the floor. I sat with my back against the door. I looked down at my watch, midday. Four more hours until I could see Tony.

The next three meetings were much shorter and thankfully much more interesting; my attention flickered between Tony and the discussions at hand. After four long hours I raced down to the foyer and met Happy there. He handed me my regular cup of coffee.

'Did Tony call you?' I asked as we rushed toward the car.

'Yeah, he called to make sure I was here at four to pick you up, why?' He asked curiously.

'He rang, he didn't sound good.' I confessed.

We reached the car and hastily made our way out of the car park. 'He asked me to take you to the Malibu house.' Happy explained, 'I brought you a night bag.' He pointed to the Louis Vuitton suitcase in the back seat.

I nodded, 'I'm worried.' I said quietly.

'Leave the worrying to him, you just be there for him.' Happy offered.

I looked sideways at him, 'you know, you should have majored in psychology.' I said sarcastically.

He shrugged his shoulders, 'you laugh now, but you'll see, he's doing enough worrying for us all, what he needs is a level head by his side, he needs you to be there to pick the pieces up when he falls.'

His heavy words fell on my worried heart. I nodded silently. He was right. We drove to Tony's private airfield, within minutes we were up in the air. I looked down at my watch; ten hours until I would see Tony. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. I remembered when he tried to tell me about his failing arc reactor all those years ago, we were flying home from Monaco, I was so preoccupied by the repercussions of the incident on the company that I failed to see what was going on behind the scenes. I hated myself. That look in his eyes still haunts me, the look he gave me before turning away. He tried to tell me the most important thing in his life, and I had shut him down and for what, the company, and the image? I sighed, I pushed the thoughts away as best as I could. I needed to get some sleep. The gentle hum of the engines lulled me into a comfortable state; before I knew it I was asleep.

**So i hope this wasn't too sappy for anyone, fear not, more angst is on the way, moreso than anythign we've seen so far! And even better, to those who commented, there is a little more action and a little less conversation on the way in the next few chapters ;) Enjoy!**


	9. Chapter 9

**_And Tony Stark again..._**

I stood by the window at the Stark International private airfield. As a child I think I spent more time here and in the air, than at home or in the playground. I watched the birds circling above, the clear blue skies mocked me with cruel irony. I grimaced at my sallow reflection in the glass.

'How long until touch down?' I asked impatiently turning away from the window.

'ETA is seven minutes Mr Stark.'

I nodded, 'thank you.' I walked back into the lobby and sat down. Anxiety had started to creep into my mind. The sound of the engines alerted me to their arrival. I stood up abruptly; a familiar overwhelming sensation of vertigo flooded me. I pushed it away, no time for that now.

I stood by the security doors and watched the plane come in for landing.

My mind raced, I could barely contain myself, Pepper was only minutes away from being in my arms. I fought back the nausea, not now.

'Mr Stark, you're free to step onto the tarmac now.' The man on the ground announced.

I nodded a quick thank you in his direction and made my way out. I stood at the doors eagerly waiting for Pepper to step off the plane.

Moments later the door opened and I saw Pepper making her way down the stairs followed by Happy, the flight crew behind them carrying their luggage.

Her beautiful smile was infectious, I felt my own face slip into a comfortable smile, she ran up to me and threw her arms around me.

'Tony.' She breathed against my neck.

I knotted my fingers through her hair, 'I love you so much.' I whispered.

I gently pulled away so that we could make our way to the waiting car, I shook Happy's hand. An unspoken understanding was always easy to come to between the two of us. He nodded and offered a smile.

'I thought we should spend some time here, I know how much you like it.' I explained to Pepper.

She smiled, 'I do.'

'Bruce is already here.' I explained to Pepper as we sat down in the limo, 'we've made some break throughs, and I thought it would be better to do things here.'

'Close to home.' She said quietly.

I nodded; her words were laced with several meanings. I could only imagine that she knew why we were here. The drive was silent, Happy and Pepper exchanged several quick glances, I could see concern in both their eyes. I tried to ignore it. There would be time to discuss this later, for now I was glad to be going home.

Bruce and I sat in my lab downstairs. So many memories were sealed in the walls and the windows of this house. I felt alive and at home. My mind was able to focus on the task at hand.

'I do like this much more than your tower.' Bruce said with a laugh.

'It's got everything I need.' I said stretching my arms in front of me, 'so this is what I've come up with so far, I need you to check it.' I swiped the files over to his screen.

I observed his reaction as he read, he turned to look at me, 'I think this may work.' He smiled.

'Is it correct?' I asked eagerly.

'Of course it's correct, when are you wrong?' Bruce looked back at the files and read and re read my hypothesis.

'I'm not on my best game lately.' I said as lightly as I could.

'Don't let yourself think like that, that's when you'll fail.' Bruce advised, he looked back at me, 'you're calculations are correct, everything looks fine.'

I nodded, 'good, let's get it up and running, I want to have something ready to test by the end of the day.'

'You know I love crazy experimentation, but I don't think it's a good idea to trial this on yourself this soon.' He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.

I shook my head, 'don't back out on me now, Banner, I need you.' I stood up and paced up and down, 'I can't do this on my own, believe me, if I could I would.'

It killed me to make admissions of my own weakness.

'I can't do much of anything on my own these days; do you know what that's like?' I leaned against the desk, I bowed my head, 'in a few weeks I won't be able to program Jarvis, in a few months I won't be able to feed myself.'

Bruce looked down at his feet, 'I understand, but Tony, this could go _so_ wrong.'

'I know.' I said quietly, 'but I need to try, I don't have the luxury of time to waste on trials.'

'I'll get started.' Bruce said finally.

I nodded, 'thank you.'

'Thank me if I don't kill you.' Bruce said nervously.

'I need to see Pepper, I'll be back.' I said quietly.

'Take your time, I'm going to spend some time on this, I want to see what else we can look at.' Bruce explained.

'I'll be back soon.' I explained, I made my way up to see Pepper, I knew she would be busy unpacking and getting settled back in to the Malibu home.

She stood outside on the balcony, her red hair shone in the sun.

I made my way to her and gently pulled her to me, 'hey.' I whispered.

'Hey.' She whispered back.

We stood together looking out over the ocean, the beauty was overwhelming. I felt a lump forming in my throat; I swallowed hard and pushed the anxiety away.

'I don't want to lie to you, Pep, I have no idea how this is going to turn out.' I said quietly.

She nodded, she leaned her head against my chest, she looked up at my, her blue eyes begged me for answers.

'If this doesn't work, in a few weeks…' I couldn't bring myself to say it.

'I know Tony, I've seen the symptoms.' She closed her eyes, 'I don't want this moment to end.'

I nodded, I lay my chin on her shoulder, 'you know, you'll be feeding me soon, and rubbing my belly in bed.' I smiled.

She slapped the side of my leg, 'don't even joke about that.' She said quietly, though she couldn't supress a laugh.

'Too soon?' I asked with a laugh.

She shook her head, still giggling; she turned to face me, her back pressed against the railing. She pulled me closer to her, a grin spread across her face, our faces were inches away from each other; I could smell her hair, her perfume. The aroma intoxicated me. I closed my eyes, foreheads touching.

'Tony.' She breathed.

'I'm so scared I'm going to lose myself.' I hear myself say.

Never would I have admitted something like this, let alone to another person, but Pepper was not just another person. She was _my_ Pepper, the love of my life, the only one I who stood by me in all my darkest hours and in all my flaws.

'You're not, I won't let you.'

She placed her hands on my face, I tried to look away from her, but she gently eased my face toward her.

'I won't let that happen, I'll be here, reminding you every day.' She kissed my lips, 'of who you are always.'

I pulled her into my body, I breathed her perfume in. I couldn't even bring myself to speak, I felt disgusted in myself. She already wore so many of my burdens, I was a complete jerk doing _this_ to her.

She shook her head, as if she knew what I was thinking, 'I'm always here for you, no matter what, and don't you dare think that you shouldn't be telling me this because of some deluded thought you may have about burdening me.'

I laughed, 'I can't imagine ever having lived without you.'

'And you'll never have to.' She smiled back at me.

She turned around and let me hold her again, I sighed, I felt a relief wash over me; we stood on the balcony looking out over the ocean.

'How do you feel?' She asked breaking the silence.

'Today has been a good day.' I said quietly.

She pulled my arms tighter around her, 'what have you come up with?'

'So far, I've found something which I think, if I'm right, will suppress the effects we've seen thus far, and hopefully it will slow it down enough for me to find something more permanent.' I explained, still holding on to her.

'So you're hopeful?' She asked curiously.

I took a deep breath, I didn't want to lie, but I couldn't tell her how little faith I truly put in my work.

'Tony?' She encouraged.

I cleared my throat, 'theoretically it should work, but honestly, I don't know, my mind isn't as it used to be, I'm worried.'

'Bruce is working on it with you?' She asked.

I nodded, 'he's making sure I don't create a second hulk.'

Pepper laughed, 'well that's a relief.'

'I need to know that if anything goes wrong, that you forgive me.' I whispered in her ear.

She turned around so quickly she nearly knocked me off balance.

'Forgive you?' she asked looking at me intently.

'For failing with the extremis, for failing you, for being a jerk, basically for everything you've had to put up with.' I looked at her.

'You brought me here because you think you're not going to survive this.' She said harshly.

I knew this wasn't a question, I looked at the panic stricken features which looked back at me, she shook her head, wide eyed.

'It's a real possibility I won't survive this.' I didn't know whether this was my malfunctioning brain forcing me to speak this way, or just pure exhaustion. I never told anyone the truth the way I just spat it out to Pepper. I could tell she was taken aback by the sudden truth telling Tony Stark.

'What do you mean?' she asked quietly.

'The symptoms you've been seeing are neurological, which means that over time it's going to start affecting me physically too.' Her eyes never left mine, 'which means, in a few weeks I'm probably going to start losing memory, and by a few months I'll be completely brain dead.' I continued.

She pulled away from me; she turned to look at the ocean, she buried her face in her hands. She started to sob.

'The Extremis is taking over and the symptoms are my body's way of saying that it's not coping.'

She stayed silent.

'I need to know that you will forgive me for this.' I couldn't think of anything else to say.

She offered no reply; she offered no words of comfort. I silently nodded to myself, I made my way inside. I stopped to look at her before I left. She stood with her back to me, crying. 'I'm sorry I couldn't be who you wanted me to be, Pep.'

I walked away, I stopped down the hall. I looked around at the house which was my home, anger burned within me. I slammed my fist into the wall; I was torturing her. I hated myself.

'Sir?' Jarvis called me.

'Yes.'

'Is everything ok?' He asked quietly.

'No, no it's not Jarvis.' I replied.

'Is there anything I can do?' he asked.

I laughed, 'no, thanks though.'

'Of course, sir.'

I made my way down to the lab; there was nothing else I could do here, I told Pepper what I needed to tell her. I fulfilled my selfish need to have her know. I felt like a jerk, but I was secretly relieved. It made things easier knowing that I wasn't lying, or having to dance around her when discussing something with Bruce. I had made hundreds if not thousands of mistakes in my lifetime, but this was my time to rectify them, and as much as she hated me for it, I felt like I had done the right thing. I only hoped that she would come to understand that, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day.

**I hope everyone enjoyed this, the next few chapters see some action in relation to the antigen which Tony and bruce are working on :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**So this is another short one...but we get into the main part of the story now. I needed to set up the Tony/Bruce scenes, so now we can see what they're working on. It's a bit vague and medical, but as I don't have a medical background, and was simply consulting google and a medical student friend of mine, forgive any mistakes :(**

**Anyhow, have a look at this, see what you all think :)**

'You ok?' Bruce asked as I walked into the lab.

I didn't look up at him or at what he was doing.

'Yeah, what have you got for me?' I sat beside him, dizziness overwhelmed me. I steadied myself.

Bruce looked at me, he acknowledged what happened but didn't mention it, he swiped over the latest changes he had made, I glanced over them.

'Good,' I entered the data into Jarvis' mainframe, 'Jarvis, begin synthesisation.'

The vial machine begun spinning, 'estimated time for completion: thirty-two hours.' Jarvis announced.

'You're not going to test it?' Bruce asked me.

I shook my head, 'no need to big guy, I trust you.'

He sighed, 'I trusted me too, and look what happened to me.' He said cautiously.

I laughed lightly, 'I have faith in you,' I stepped away from the desk and made my way to the makeshift chemical lab I had set up in the back of the room, 'and besides, we learn from our mistakes don't we.' I stated.

'I still don't like this.' Bruce added.

'I know you don't.' I grinned, 'have a little faith.'

'And since when does Tony Stark have any kind of religious affiliation?' He called across the room.

I smirked to myself, 'I'm a changed man.' I said to him, 'dying does that to you.' I muttered under my breath.

The sporadic beeps of the machine comforted me, there was hope.

'Give me a few more days to run some tests.' Bruce broke the silence.

I shook my head, 'no need, we've done everything we can.'

'On paper, yes, but not in trials, we can take some blood, run some tests.' Bruce explained.

I hesitated, but I knew he was right. I may be losing my sanity, but I wasn't completely crazy yet, I took a syringe and drew some blood for him.

A sudden wave of nausea and pain hit me and I felt myself stumble forward, I threw my hand out in front of me to stop myself from falling into the bench. I dropped the syringe and vial on the bench.

'Tony.' Bruce yelled.

I held my hand out, 'I'm ok.' I breathed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I shut my eyes trying to force the pain aside. I felt my heart rate increase; I knew enough to know what was happening. I tried to slow my breathing down.

'You need to sit down.' I heard Bruce rush away; when he came back he pulled me down into a chair. My big, leather office chair; at least I was going to be comfortable.

I heard the small glass clink as he moved the vial of blood on the marble bench. I heard him shuffle around his pocket.

'Don't call Pepper.' I managed.

I heard him sigh; he must have replaced his phone in his pocket.

I felt the bile building up in the back of my throat; it took every ounce of self-control to contain it. I couldn't breathe; I felt my lungs failing me. A gargled sound escaped my lips, along with what I could only assume was blood.

'Here, take this.' Bruce placed a bunch of tissues in my hands.

I couldn't tell up from down, left from right, my mind was in complete disarray.

'Tony, can you hear me?' Bruce spoke somewhere beside me.

I couldn't answer, or respond. I simply remained frozen for fear of completely falling apart.

'Tony, you need to listen to me,' Bruce touched my neck, 'your body is going into shock, I'm going to inject you with adrenalin to bring your heart rate back in sync. He clicked the lever on the chair and I felt myself being lowered into a lying position.

I would have nodded if I could; instead I lay motionlessly as my head pounded. I thought that my skull was going to explode from the exertion it was under. Nausea attacked my senses again. I felt my entire body shaking.

'Try to focus on my voice,' Bruce spoke calmly, he turned my head to the left.

I felt a cold patch on my neck; he must be prepping the surface for the injection. I struggled for breath. Hurry. My head pounded more than I could bear, if I could scream I would. I clenched my jaw shut; I grit my teeth to try and supress the pain.

'I'm going to inject you now Tony, try to focus on my voice.'

The needle pierced my skin, I let a gargled cry escape my lips, along with it the blood which had pooled in the back of my throat.

'Breathe, focus.' Bruce repeated, 'breathe Tony.' He spoke calmly, and then finally his voice faded away.

I felt his hand on my forehead, then a wet cloth, then nothing.

**The next chapter is nearly done and good to go, I am bringing in more action and a more powerful, fierce Pepper. So the Pepperony themes will be quite heavy in the coming chapters, but they are important for the set up. So I do apologise if anyone's expecting different, but as always you know I'm more than open to taking on opinions and requests.**

**The one request i did receive was for 'third person' POV, i would love to Guest, but i'm not sure how i would implement it so far in the story, if you've any ideas to help me out, please let me know :)**

**Looking forward to hearing from you!**


	11. Chapter 11

**So we needed to see Pepper come back strong and fierce to be by Tony's side when he needs her most, afterall 'behind every great man, is an even greater woman' **

Tony was in a coma, I found that out early yesterday morning, I spent hours in the shower crying, I couldn't face him, I couldn't even be in the same room as him. How could I? I turned my back on him when he needed me most, the stress couldn't have been good for him. I probably did this to him. When Bruce told me, I told him to get out. I couldn't face the look of disappointment on his face. I'm sure he expected more from me, _I_ expected more from me. So I finally called him up to discuss what happened. I couldn't bear it anymore.

'He went into shock, I injected him with adrenalin to bring his heart rate back up, but he's deteriorating much faster than either of us had anticipated.'

Bruce's words burned in me. I sat on the sofa staring at him. I don't think I said a single word for more than ten minutes. He simply sat with me.

'He wants to try the antigen we've formulated, I don't think it's ready, but as it stands I don't think we have a choice.' Bruce explained. 'It's been more than twenty eight hours since he lost consciousness, it's not looking good.'

I looked down at my hands. I couldn't open my mouth. This was it, Tony's prediction of his impending death.

'You should see him.' He said finally.

I knew I should. He needed me. That's why he told me what he did. I was mad at him years ago when he didn't tell me he was dying, and now that he told me everything I backed away into a corner and left him. Of course I was going to see him.

'How long?' I finally managed.

Bruce looked at me nervously, 'I don't know.'

'You have to know, days, weeks, months?' I heard my voice become harsh.

'Based on what I've seen, I would say that within two weeks he'll be almost completely enveloped by the Extremis and within the month, most likely brain dead.' Bruce told me.

I nodded, the sickening feeling in my stomach intensified. It's just as Tony had said. Even in the terror of losing his mind he was still brilliant.

I stood up, 'thank you.'

'I don't think he'll wake for a few hours.' He said as I walked out of the room.

Good, I didn't want him to, not just yet. I needed time to collect my thoughts.

Night had fallen over Malibu. The stars were out; it was always Tony's favourite thing to do. Sit out here and watch the stars, he would tell me all about the constellation and about the ancient gods and how they were thought to be immortalised in the stars. Then he would laugh: _fairy tales to tell kids._

I laughed now, our life was an ironic fairy tale, and this one didn't have a happy ending. The walls I held up around me came crashing down. I found myself sitting on the deck of the pool, crying, sobbing and I think at some point I had even started praying. Then I cursed myself for doing such childish things.

I finally gathered enough courage to face him, even if he was asleep. I made my way to our bedroom. Bruce and Happy had carried him up. I stopped at the door and forced myself to open it. I swallowed hard, his face was so pale, he barely looked alive, if it wasn't for the slow rise and fall of his chest I would have thought he had passed away in his sleep. The look on his face was that of pain. His brow was furrowed and eyes shut tightly.

I took a seat on the edge of the bed; I ran my hand through his hair. It was cold and wet, small beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

'I'm sorry I got mad before, I'm sorry it took so long to come and see you,' I finally said to his sleeping body. I wiped away the sweat with a tissue I retrieved from the bedside table. He flinched under my touch.

I looked away from him, 'I'm scared, you can't leave me Tony.' I started babbling.

I turned to look at him, he was still asleep, I felt like such a coward, forcing an apology on a sleeping man, I couldn't even wait to apologise to him when he was lucid.

'I will hate myself forever if that was the last moment we had together and I ruined it.' I continued, 'you say how much you need me and how much I've helped you become a better person over the years.'

I stopped when I realised that my eyes were clouding, tears had welled up in my eyes and finally escaped. I wiped them away with another tissue.

'I need you too, if you weren't around I don't know how I'd cope, I can't do this, I can't run the company and live my life without you.' I rubbed the tears away with the back of my hand, 'I can't do any of this without you Tony.' I took his hand in mine and squeezed it. 'I need you here.' I whispered.

I sat in silence, just listening to his weak breathing.

The silence was broken when my blackberry started to ring, I quickly answered it, I turned to make sure it hadn't woken him up.

'Yes, yes I'm fine thank you, no I'm not in New York, I'm in Malibu.'

So many questions, 'Yes, Mr Stark is fine, why wouldn't he be?' those questions _again_, I frowned, 'I know there are rumours circulating regarding his health, what I would like to know is, who's responsible for these rumours.'

Of course that was a long shot, why I ever thought it would be that easy was beyond me. 'No, I assure you all is well with Mr Stark and Stark International.'

I ran my fingers through my hair. Before I could continue, I felt the phone get taken from my hand. I turned to see Tony smiling weakly.

'I would really appreciate it if you would stop harassing the CEO of my company,' he said with a grin, 'as you can hear, I'm fine, so if you've any further questions, please address them to her PA.' he pressed the end call button and handed me the phone. He lay back down.

I laughed disbelievingly, 'thank you.'

He took hold of my hand and pulled me down to lay beside him.

I instinctively laced my fingers between his and lay my head on his chest; I traced the arc with my other hand.

'I'm sorry I woke you.' I said quietly.

'Don't be, I feel like I've slept for days.' He replied.

He _had _slept for days.

'How are you feeling?' I asked nervously.

'Alive.' He said simply.

That was more than I could hope for, it gave me hope, he was here and he was alive.

'Bruce told me about the antigen.' I said.

He nodded, 'is it finished?' He asked.

'Yes, but he-'

'-he wants to run trials, I don't think I have time for that.' He said abruptly.

'I think you should.' I squeezed his hand.

I knew it was unfair, pleading him to do it for me, but it was the only way I knew he would do it; I knew he would listen to me.

'Ok.' He agreed.

'Thank you.' I whispered.

'And as for leaving you, I could never do that, Potts.' He kissed the top of my head.

I froze, he heard everything I said. I felt the heat in my cheeks rise. I buried my face in his chest.

'I could really use some food, and we could also use some positive PR.' He said.

'Dinner?' I suggested.

He nodded, 'I'll call and make reservations.'

'Are you sure you'll be ok?' I asked cautiously.

'If things get a bit hairy, we could always play the "billionaire party's too hard" card.' He laughed.

'I guess we can.' I smiled.

'Can we make it a late dinner; I need a little time to get it together.' He gently eased me off of his shoulder; he sat up and swung his legs out of bed.

'Are you feeling ok?' I asked moving to sit beside him.

'Surprisingly, yes.' He looked at me smiling.

'Ok, well I'll get ready, leave around eight?' I stood up.

'An hour and a half is enough time to get ready?' he asked me teasingly.

I laughed, he pulled me back to the bed and put his hands on my hips, he looked up at me smiling, he pulled me closer to him and laid his face against my stomach.

My heart skipped several beats, his touch always made me lose my breath, his fingertips always made my heart race. I bent down and kissed his head. I could never lose this; I could never imagine not feeling like this.

'Thank you, for not leaving me.' Tony whispered.

'That's something _you'll_ never have to worry about either.' I said firmly, I kissed his lips, 'let's get ready.'

He stood up and hugged me one more time, 'I'll see you downstairs.'

I made sure he was ok to stand on his own; once I was satisfied I made my way downstairs. Happy had left my luggage in the living room, I knew there were at least three dresses which would be suitable for tonight, but there was one special one I thought of instantly. The dress I wore the first time we danced. In true Stark fashion I knew he would be booking something overly suave, and private. I smiled at the thought of his gaze, his touch, his breath when we danced. I only regretted that we didn't realise our feelings sooner. I opened the suitcase and found the dress I was looking for. After about and hour I was dressed and ready.

'Jarvis?' I called out.

'Yes Miss Potts.' Jarvis replied.

'Can you call Happy for me?' I asked as I fiddled with my hair, I knew he liked it down, and I knew he liked it curly.

'Hey Pepper, what's going on?' Happy's voice flooded the room.

'Tony and I are going out for dinner, are you free to drive us?' I asked while I still perfected my hair.

'Of course, it's my job, Pep.' Happy laughed, 'the boss would fire me if I didn't drive him.'

'Well, then you better be here at eight.' I laughed.

Jarvis disconnected the call and I added the finishing touches to my outfit, diamond earrings and the necklace he bought me.

I made my way downstairs and found Bruce still in the workshop.

'We're going out for dinner, will you be ok?' I asked Bruce.

He smiled at me, 'yeah, sure, have fun.'

'Do you want us to bring you anything?'

He shook his head, 'I'm going to try to meet with a friend I have at the hospital, I need a few things for this.' He held up the vial of blue liquid.

The antigen.

In the last few hours I had pushed the current situation out of my mind, the bright blue liquid just brought everything flooding back. My heart dropped. I nodded silently, 'we'll see you later.'

I stood by the front door waiting for Tony. As each minute passed I felt more and more sick. Why wasn't he here yet? Was he ok? I paced impatiently.

'Nervous?' Tony's voice beamed across the room.

A smile broke across my face before I even saw him, his voice was enough. When I did look up my heart skipped a beat. He was Tony again, my Tony. His brown eyes and endearing smile warmed my heart. His self-confident walk reminded me of the days before all this trouble. He walked toward me; the dark tux was like a second skin to him. Aside from the Iron Man armour, nothing suited him more. He looked perfect.

He took me in his arms, gently kissing me on the cheek, he let his lips linger by my ear, I closed my eyes at the gentle breath against my ear. I felt weak at the knees.

'You look so beautiful.' He whispered.

I clutched his arm, I had to hold on to him for support, it would never cease to amaze me how he still made me feel like the most amazing person on this earth, simply by being around me.

He finally pulled back, the same confident, infectious smile made me grin like an idiot.

'Shall we go?' he gestured to the door.

I nodded wordlessly.

We walked out to the waiting car, Happy opened the doors for us, and he shook Tony's hand and smiled at me.

As Tony took his seat, Happy silently mouthed, 'everything ok?'

I nodded with a smile. It was for now, and that's what mattered.

And so we went, we couldn't stop looking at each other, it was always like the first time. Happiness was something we cherished but so often took for granted. When we got through this, _that _would never happen again. I would never take him for granted and I would never let him forget how much he meant to me.

**This one was a little bit longer than the previous chapters, I was inspired by the amazingly awesome teaser trailer which was released today for IM3! I nearly died when I watched it, so amazing. I CANNOT wait for the full length trailer in a few days :) So excited hahaha, so leave me some love for this piece and I will be back with plenty more for you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**So firstly, the IM3 trailer?! O M G! I was in tears, anticipation nearly killed me! But the trailer was so amazing, I couldn't believ how intense it looks! 'I just hope that I can protect the one thing I can't live without.' OMG, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!**

**Also, thank you everyone who reviewed hehehe, and to all those shy ones who don't like to review, thanks for reading :D**

The restaurant was just as I thought it would be, expensive, exclusive and quiet. It was just what we needed. There was nothing more perfect than being here with Tony; he was the man who could make you feel like the most amazing individual to have ever walked the face of the planet. And I was no exception. I felt like I was living in some kind of fairy tale reserved just for us. The way he had changed over the years was extraordinary; it made me think that he didn't change at all and that _this_ was who he truly was all along. For years I would catch glimpses of the compassion and sensitivity which no one thought possible for Tony Stark. Now I saw and lived with that compassion every day.

He fought for the world, and for us. I couldn't help but smile whenever I was with him, regardless of the stress he brought me on a daily basis. Waiting for hours, or days sometimes for him to come back from some mission S.H.I.E.L.D had sent him on. The waiting never got easier, and I never got better at it. The more and more I fell in love with him, the harder it became to bear being apart, not knowing if he was coming home. I would sit around the house, then clean insanely and then sit in his workshop and try to stop myself from crying. Every time would be the same; it wasn't only I who suffered.

Nightmares plagued him; I heard it every night when we slept. He would thrash and yell out. Most of it I couldn't make out, but some of it I could. Every night I would hear him plead for his life, sometimes I was in his dream, he would plead that I would be spared. All I could do was hold him, try to tell him it was going to be ok. More and more sleepless nights took over. Less and less he smiled; he was constantly exhausted. The extremis was having devastating effects on him.

It wasn't always like this, the first six months were different, he was more agile, more brilliant if that were even possible, and his mood was wonderful. He did everything I needed him to do, and attended every meeting with me, and then like a switch was flipped, he started to lose his temper quicker, he lost patience quicker. And the darkness in his eyes was always present. Despite all this, never once did he let me feel the wrath of whatever he was going through. He tried to hide it all from me. If this was years ago it would have perhaps bothered me, now I marvelled at his fearlessness. _I_ wanted to cry every day. But that's not what he needed, so he we were, smiling, together.

We sat at a table which was exclusively reserved for Tony, an elegant white candle lingered between us casting a soft glow against his skin. The beautiful food before us remained untouched. He didn't even look at it, a sickly reminder of his ailment. I pushed my food aside as well, and instead simply sat and took in the man before me. I cherished every second.

His face formed a gentle smile. He reached across the table and took hold of my hand. 'You look amazing.' He said quietly.

I felt the eyes of every patron in the restaurant on us. I could feel myself blushing.

He smiled again, that cheeky grin I loved so much.

'Thank you, Mr Stark, I whispered back.'

He squeezed my hand, 'is this enough for the press to get off your back?'

I looked around, before I could answer him, he leaned across the table, he took my face in his hand and kissed me.

My whole body froze as the kiss burned through me, I felt my breath hitch.

Once he pulled away he let his lips linger in front of mine for a few seconds, I could hardly breathe, 'Tony.' I whispered

'I need you to know how much I love you.' He said quietly sitting back down.

'I know how much you love me.' I whispered back.

He looked around the restaurant; he cleared his throat and looked back at me, his face hardened, 'good, because I think we need to leave.'

I looked around; the sudden seriousness in his face worried me.

'What's wrong?' I tried to keep my voice down.

'The table by the bar, they're the men who worked on the extremis project.' He forced a smile.

I knew he was putting up a front, I couldn't reciprocate. The sound of my heart was thudding against my skull.

'If my suspicions are right, I believe they're responsible for the rumours you've been dealing with.'

I swallowed hard, the reporter, the phone calls, someone knew and they were right. 'Tony, I don't understand.' I whispered.

He squeezed my hand, 'we need to go _now_.'

I nodded hastily and stood up. He walked around and wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the exit. He smiled at the waiters and thanked them for dinner. Once we were outside he took his phone out and made a call, I didn't hear whom he was speaking with, only that he wanted them to meet us in fifteen minutes.

Happy was waiting by the car; he looked taken aback by our dinner being so short.

'What's going on boss?' He asked, quickly butting out his cigarette and opening the doors for us.

Tony shut the door after I sat down, 'change of plans, Hap.' I heard him say. 'Take us home.' He said simply.

'Got it.' Happy took off.

Tony sat back; he pinched the bridge of his nose. 'This is bad.' He said quietly turning to look at me.

I moved closer to him, I took his hand in mine, 'what's going on?'

'They know what the effects of Extremis are; they're the guys who infected Mallen.' He ran his hand through his hair, 'they're here to make sure I don't survive this.'

'Why were they here?' Panic invaded my mind. I couldn't think straight I couldn't think at all. My mind was completely absorbed with the idea that someone was actively trying to kill Tony in such a discrete manner.

He shook his head, ' I don't know, probably trying to catch a glimpse of how severe it's gotten, they have to know, they wouldn't be here now if they didn't.'

'What are they going to do if they do find out?' I shuddered to hear the answer.

'Probably kill me if they don't see me die within the designated time frame.'

I shook my head, 'you and Bruce are going to work something out.'

'That's why we need to get home, get Bruce out of there, he's not safe as long as he's here.' He explained.

My chest tightened, if Tony was worried that the Hulk couldn't defend himself against these men, he must have next to no confidence in himself being able to do so. 'The serum is ready isn't it?' I asked hopefully.

'Yeah, it's not tested though.' He said with a sigh.

'How long will tests take?' I asked. I knew that testing was needed, but my heart wanted him to take it, to get better and beat this.

He squeezed my hand, 'if I don't die at the hand of Extremis, they'll make sure they do it.'

'Then we'll make sure you're better than them.' I tried to assure him.

He shook his head, 'it's not that simple Pep.'

'It can be.' I sounded like a whiney child.

He smiled sadly, 'I wish it were, truth is, honestly, I don't know what their end game is, I don't know what they will achieve in killing me, and that's what worries me.'

'You'll work it out.' I leaned against him; he wrapped his arm around me.

'I need to speak to Maya.' He said finally.

Maya Hansen. She was responsible for this whole mess, and now she was in prison. I wanted to kill her myself. She created a serum which was to be used for military purposes, of course as all these kind of plans go, it failed. Her Extremis serum was used prematurely, because of this Tony nearly died. Injecting himself with a revised version of the Extremis was the only chance he had. And here we were, he was _dying_, slowly and painfully. And he wanted to speak with Maya.

'Tomorrow.' I whispered.

He nodded.

Good. At least we agreed on something.

**So this was a short one, but hope you enjoyed it, and the next one is coming soon :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**We all know every hero needs a sidekick! So we get a little bit of Rhodey action...now as much as I love the guy, I do like watching Tony doing his 'lone gunslinger act' but even I can admit when the guy needs a little help, he has to ask for it!**

* * *

'What's up?' Rhodey was waiting for us when we got home. 'What's going on?'

We made our way to the house, the gates opened up for us and I walked ahead with Rhodey.

I made sure I was out of earshot. 'I need your help, I'm going to break into a medical facility.'

He looked at me sideways, 'you're kidding right?'

I shook my head as I motioned for him to follow, 'Nope, you in or not?'

Pepper and Happy stayed upstairs and Rhodey and I went down to my workshop.

'We _need_ to do something, it's getting too close to home, and now they know where I go with Pepper.' I keyed in the code to enter the armour displays.

Rhodey entered his code and the War Machine stood before him.

A sharp jolt of pain ran through my head, I flinched; Rhodey must have noticed because he stopped what he was doing.

'Can you even do this?' Rhodey pointed to my suit.

I probably couldn't. I most definitely _shouldn't_, the Extremis was already beyond my control and the symptoms hit me at any time, but what choice did I have? 'I'm fine.' I lied.

Rhodey nodded and proceeded to suit up.

I made my way to the lab and picked up the small vial of blue liquid. A note from Bruce was attached to it.

"_I've run a few tests while you were gone, the antigen should slow the symptoms down enough to buy you some time, I've gone to the hospital to consult a friend of mine in relation to the next phase of the antigen. Bruce."_

'Jarvis; call Bruce and tell him to go home as soon as he can.' I took the vial and filled a syringe with it.

'Very well sir.' Jarvis replied.

I rolled up my sleeve and plunged the needle into my arm, the liquid spread through my veins. A sharp gasp escaped my lips, I dropped the syringe and the glass shattered around me. The site of the injection felt like it was on fire, heat spread through my body.

'Tony.' Rhodey's voice echoed throughout the workshop.

I steadied myself against the bench. I felt my heart race; I tried to control my breathing.

I heard Rhodey make his way over to me, he opened his faceplate, 'you are so _not_ ok to do this man.' He stood beside me.

I closed my eyes against the pain, I called on the suit, I looked back at Rhodey as it assembled itself around me. 'I'm fine. Let's go.' I managed.

He stepped in front of me, 'you're barely standing, you are going to get yourself killed.'

'Move.' I said firmly.

His face plate shut, 'no.'

'I'm not doing this Rhodey.' I managed.

Rhodey remained still. 'You're not going anywhere, and if you think you are you're going to have to go through me.'

'I'm not one of your soldiers you can command Rhodes.' I grit my teeth, I shut the face plate, I smirked to myself, one great thing _did_ come from Extremis, I looked up and around the workshop, I shut down Rhodey's suit and activated the internal lock sequence. I instructed Jarvis to let him leave once I was clear out of the building.

I stepped past him, 'I may be sick, Rhodey, but I'm not stupid.' I walked toward the exit, 'I'll see you there.' I ignited the thrusters and took off.

'Tony!'

I heard him yell.

'Jarvis, lock on to Futurepharm for me.'

'Locked, coordinates incoming through satellite four.' Jarvis offered.

'Ok, good, keep me posted on my vitals too, ok.' I locked in to the satellite and set my coordinates.

The HUD displayed my heart rate and reactor reading. Both seemed to be stable and the burning pain had subsided.

'Sir, Colonel Rhodes is on his way.' Jarvis added.

'Good, lock him in to the same coordinates, ensure sat link between the suits remains inactive.' I didn't want to have any sort of conversation with him right now; I needed him as a friend and an ally and I had no time for a lecture.

Once I finally landed I made my way to the doors of the familiar building. The HUD displayed my increasing heart rate; I felt the bile building up in the back of my throat. I pushed it down. The eerie darkness of the town did little to calm my nerves. It was only a little bit past midnight, but the lack of stars in the sky plunged the whole town in a blanket of uneasy darkness.

I looked around the building quickly and made my way to the back. 'Jarvis, I need you to find the relays for the security feed and link it back to me.'

Moments later the HUD lit up with several screens monitoring the permitter as well as the inside of the building.

'I need to get inside, there's a failsafe to prevent external access to their mainframe.' The suit began to remove itself from my body. I stood by the back entrance and waited for the suit to fold itself into its moveable case. I activated the stealth cameras and it disappeared before my eyes. I marvelled at my creation, I let myself appreciate it. There was no telling if I'd still be able to create these kinds of things anymore.

'Sir, stealth has been activated and is holding at one hundred per cent.' Jarvis announced.

'Thank you Jarvis, keep me posted.'

I made my way to the power control box, I knelt beside it, I opened the panel and looked at the wiring. 'Ok Jarvis, let's see if I've still got it.'

The wiring was familiar to me, I could do _this _in my sleep, if anything more complicated came around I don't know how I would face it, I heard Rhodey land a few yards away, he made his way over to me.

I took out my knife and snipped three of the wires.

'Tony, what are you doing?'

I held up my hand, I needed silence to focus on Jarvis, the satellites and the wires before me.

Once I was satisfied I had done all I needed to I stood up, replaced my knife in my pocket and walked past Rhodey, '_I'm_ going in, I need you to watch the permitter.'

'Tony, wait.'

'Watch the permitter.' I repeated. I didn't give him a chance to protest again, I slipped in through the now unlocked doors.

I walked through the darkened corridors and made my way to where Maya's office used to be. The layout hadn't changed that much which was good for me. The doors were still locked the old fashioned way, I smirked. Also good for me. I knelt down and picked the lock with the small knife, after a few seconds the latch released the door. I walked around the office, I ran my hand along the walls, nothing. I walked over to the desk, after a few moments of feeling around I located a small panel under the desk; I pressed around until a found a small button. I smiled, 'ah Maya, I thought I taught you better than that.' A small tile behind the desk lifted revealing a hidden compartment. A folder and a key to everything I needed to know.

'Jarvis, activate coms.'

Rhodey's coms came online, 'I need you in here, come in through the side entrance.'

'Coming.' Rhodey replied.

I met him half way down the corridor. He lifted his face plate, I handed him the key.

'The door needs two people to open it.' I lead him down the stairs into an underground lab.

Once we reached the door I pointed to a key slot, I put mine in, 'turn in three, two, one.'

The door opened.

'Tony, what is this place?' He asked finally.

'The lab where the Extremis was created, I need to find out who the men were at the restaurant and this will help me.' I held up a flash drive, I loaded it into one of the laptops, 'ok, where are you.' I whispered to myself. I scanned through thousands of files, 'got you.' I smiled.

'Someone's coming.' Rhodey whispered.

Closed the laptop and replaced the flash drive, 'go, I'll meet you outside.' I walked with him to the doors.

'Hurry.' He said simply.

I made sure he was clear before making my way back to the lab, 'Jarvis, block the signal from my suit, make sure Rhodey goes home.'

'Of course sir.'

I knelt down behind a large desk and stayed silent until the guard walked past. The flashlight flooded the darkened room. I grabbed a book from a nearby desk and pressed it to my chest, covering the arc reactor.

The guard remained at the door, I held my breath. The nauseous feeling overwhelmed me again, I leaned my head against the desk. After an agonising wait, he finally left. 'Jarvis, surveillance feeds, where is he?'

I've never been so thankful for the ability to communicate with Jarvis in my head. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I locked in to the guards' location, I had enough time to find what I needed before he came back.

I quickly found the formula, fortunately for me, they were still working on it, and unfortunately for them I was taking it with me. I folded up the files and tucked them in the back of my jeans.

Darting around and under and windows I made my way outside unnoticed.

I called on the suit and it assembled itself around me, I took off into the sky, I flew with a light heart and new hope.

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**Hope that this chapter was to everyone's liking! Thankyou for the brilliant and motivational reviews guys! Really loving the love! Hope to hear from you again, good or bad! Hit me with it :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks for the awesome reviews guys! So happy to see the positivity hehehe :) Here's another chapter in Pepper's POV! I know it's a little intense with the changes, but I hope you're all with me :) I thought we needed a little Happy moments so here's a good friend just when you need him!**

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'You don't have to stay with me, I'm ok.' I said to Happy.

He made himself comfortable on the couch with a bottle of beer in one hand and the remote in the other.

'Well I wouldn't be a good friend if I left you alone.' He said taking a sip of beer.

'Yes, because you're really helping me out.' I laughed.

'You're laughing, I've done my job.' He said proudly.

I made my way over to the couch and sat beside him, 'you can go home, there's still time to go out and do things.' I suggested.

'Are you trying to get rid of me?' He asked curiously.

I shook my head, 'of course not; I'm just not the best company right now.'

'That's the point, that's why I'm here, to cheer you up, get you laughing, part of the job description.' He said nonchalantly.

'Thanks.' I smiled.

Happy left me to my thoughts, he had the unyielding ability to know when silence was needed, and I thanked him for it. We sat on the couch together, he watched TV and I tended to the influx of emails I had gotten from various gossip magazines in relation to 'the kiss' at the restaurant. I felt my cheeks flush as I recalled the moment.

Most of them were ridiculous interview requests, _'What's it like being the luckiest woman on earth?' 'How did you tame the wild party animal?' _and some really creative ones made me laugh out loud, _'Do you boss him around in bed?' 'Does he wear the Iron Man helmet to bed?' _

I sighed loudly, there were a few serious ones, these were the ones which made my job a pain, _'Iron man would save you before anyone else, how does that make you feel?' 'Do you think it's fair that he values your life more than the people he's sworn to protect?'_ I rolled my eyes, you know it's true Pepper, I sighed to myself. It is true; he _would_ protect me before anyone else. I couldn't blame him, I would do the same. And anyone who denied they would too was lying.

I replied to dozens of reporters and editors, some of them replied back instantly, desperate to get a word from the woman who tamed Tony Stark. I knew there would be many more to come in the coming days and weeks, but it was exactly what we needed. It was a perfectly placed publicity stunt to get the 'sick' rumours off the tabloids. I ran my hand through my hair and stretched out my shoulders.

Happy squeezed my shoulder, 'you've been doing that for hours, you should get some sleep.' He nodded to my blackberry, 'I'll send him to bed as soon as he comes home.' He assured me, sensing my hesitation.

I finally gave in and packed away my things; I bid Happy a good night and made my way upstairs to the bedroom.

I don't know how long I stayed up; lying in bed looking up at the ceiling waiting for him to come home. Hours had passed and my eyes became heavy. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I woke up to a gentle kiss on my neck.

'I'm sorry I woke you.' He whispered in my ear.

I couldn't help but smile; I turned around and snuggled up against him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer.

I closed my eyes against his chest, one hand on the reactor just as I always did. 'Did you find what you were looking for?'

'I did.' He whispered back.

'Good.' I said quietly, 'I love you.'

'Love you.' He whispered, and then his breathing became heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

I kissed his forehead and just looked at him. He looked peaceful, the calmest I'd seen him in a long time. He was content.

I turned around and snuggled into my pillow, a few moments later his arm found its way around my waist again, he pulled me closer to his body. I smiled to myself.

His soft breaths on my neck lulled me to sleep. I closed my eyes and I drifted away.

'Stop, please don't, not her, take me, take me instead.'

I woke up; my eyes darted around the room.

'Don't hurt her.' A hushed whimper.

'Tony?' I whispered.

'Don't take her from me.'

I sat up in bed, I looked around the room, the darkness made my heart drop. There was no sign of the warm blue light which usually flooded the room.

I got out of bed and quietly padded over to the door which was left ajar, I peered out through the small gap.

'Please, I'm _begging _you, take _me.' _

Tony was on his knees, a gasp escaped my lips. I clapped my hand to my mouth to stop the noise.

A quiet chuckle flooded the silent house, 'and why would I do that Anthony?' A boyish voice spoke.

'Oh god.' I whispered, 'Jarvis, help him.' I hissed as quietly as I could, 'please.' I looked back through the gap.

'Don't hurt her you son of a bitch.' Tony said loudly.

The man stepped back and swung at Tony, the butt of his gun met Tony's jaw. He fell to the ground.

'No, no, God please.' I whispered.

'Get up!' the man yelled.

Tony raised himself back to his knees, 'Take me.' he pleaded.

'Well there's just no fun in that, I want you to see your world crash around you, just like mine did, because of _her!' _his cool meaner dropped and he finally yelled, he hit Tony with the gun again.

I felt tears pouring out of my eyes; my hand on my mouth stopped the sound. I wanted to run out, to help him, but I couldn't do anything, why couldn't I do anything. I sat by the door, watching and crying.

'You're crazy.' Tony spat back, blood dripped from the corner of his mouth; the plush white carpet below him was a cruel contrast to the pools which formed upon it.

The man laughed maniacally, '_I'm _crazy?' He hit Tony over and over again.

Tony laughed at him.

What are you doing Tony, stop it, stop making it worse.

'You'll never get to her, Jarvis will shut down every room, you'll never get to her and you'll never get out either.' Tony laughed.

'At least I get to see you die first.' The man raised the gun to Tony's head.

I closed my eyes; a loud bang reverberated throughout the house.

'No, Tony!' I screamed out finally.

The man turned toward me, a sadistic grin on his face.

Justin Hammer…

He started walking in my direction, 'no, no Jarvis shut down.' I yelled as I ran to the back of the room, 'Jarvis!' I screamed as I ran into the bathroom.

Nothing, Jarvis wasn't online, why wasn't he online?

I located the panic button and a room opened up inside the shower, I threw myself in, I slammed my fist on the button to close it.

Before the door closed completely he grabbed hold of my wrist, I screamed out, I thrashed and kicked.

'Pepper.' The voice called me, 'Pepper!'

'No!' I screamed back, I kicked at him, I cried and yelled. My foot met with his face. I kicked and kicked again.

'Pepper, stop!'

My eyes shot open, Tony was crouching on top of me, his hands holding my wrists down, I looked up at his face. Small droplets of blood dotted the corner of his mouth. His eyes were wide, looking down at me.

'Pepper.' He repeated firmly.

'Tony?' I breathed.

He let go of my hands and pulled me up to him. He kneeled on the bed holding me.

'I've got you, it's ok.' He pulled me against his chest.

'Oh my god, Tony.' I leaned against him and felt the hot tears sting my eyes; I ran my fingers through his hair.

He flinched under my touch; I pulled back, 'Oh, Tony.' I touched his face. Bruises were already forming under his right eye.

He took my hand in his, 'it's ok Pep, are you ok?' He rubbed my back.

I nodded silently.

'I'm so sorry I kicked you.' I whispered.

He pulled away from me gently and laughed, 'well I'm just glad to see that you can defend yourself, I can only imagine how good you'd be when you're awake.'

I couldn't help but laugh too.

'What were you dreaming about?' he asked me.

'That Justin Hammer broke in while we were sleeping and he killed you.' I replied quietly, the dream was still so vivid, the pain in my heart felt real too.

'Well that's just ridiculous, no one can break into this house, let alone Justin Hammer, he's an idiot.' He said simply.

I nodded, 'I know, but Tony, I watched you die.'

'It was just a dream, I'm not going anywhere.' He squeezed my hand.

'You are.' I said sadly.

He lifted my chin with his other hand, 'I'm not going _anywhere_ Pep.' He smiled.

Maybe he wasn't going to die at the hand of Justin Hammer and a gun, but he was dying, he was going to leave me, and the pain was the same.

'But the Extremis?' I mumbled.

'The antigen worked, it did just what it needed to.' He rubbed circles on the back on my hand with his thumb.

I looked up at him disbelievingly, 'really?' I dared to hope.

He nodded, 'really.'

The warmth in his smile was reflected in his eyes, he was telling me the truth. I threw myself against him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He laughed, 'whoa, so all a guy has to do to get some attention from you is come back from the brink?'

I nudged him in the ribs, I laughed.

He wrapped his arms around me tighter, 'I love you so much.' He whispered in a more serious tone.

'I love you too.'

All jokes aside, there was nothing which terrified me more than losing him. I breathed his scent in, he was with me and he was going to be ok. Today was a good day.

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**I wasn't too sure about how the dream sequence would work in this chapter, so I hope it didnt confuse anyone or jar the flow too much! Let me know, as always, looking forward to the reviews :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**So thank you to those who are still reading this story! Hope you're enjoying it as much as I'm enjoying the writing part! **

**This chapter was a lot of fun to write, so far it's been my favourite, for those who said I needed more fluff, I hope I've touched on that enough for the time being in this chapter. So here we go, enjoy!**

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I walked into the kitchen, Pepper stood by the fridge peering into it, I leaned over her and took a bottle of water out.

She closed the fridge and turned to hug me, she traced her finger around the reactor.

'You're going to work on the suits again?' Pepper asked.

I nodded, 'I've a lot to catch up on.' I smiled at her.

'I'm happy everything's getting back to normal.' She smiled.

'You didn't doubt me did you?' I kissed her lips teasingly.

'Not at all.' She whispered pulling me in to a deep kiss.

As always, my mind raced, my heart skipped several beats, and I could swear that the reactor brightened each time she touched me. She trailed her fingers up and down my arm; she smiled up at me. 'Any more progress on the antigen, Mr Stark?'

I closed my eyes, a grin spread across my face. She really knew how to drive me crazy, I chewed my bottom lip, I finally opened my eyes and noticed the glint in her eyes, I pushed her back against the wall. I leaned in against her. I wrapped one arm around her waist and leaned one against the wall above her head. I grinned at the smile on her face. Her lips only an inch from mine, I leaned in and kissed her. A small gasp escaped her lips and it only made me crazier for her.

I felt her fingers run through my hair. I ran kisses along the nape of her neck, pushing my body against hers I breathed heavily against her skin. She pulled me closer against her.

'Tony.' She breathed.

Hearing her say my name made me appreciate this moment so much more. _She _was saying _my_ name, she was with _me_. I couldn't believe how lucky I was.

I cupped her cheek and kissed her again, her hand crept under my shirt and she ran her nails across my back, I deepened the kiss. She reciprocated with an even more intense sigh.

'Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Colonel Rhodes is about to enter the house.' Jarvis announced.

Pepper pulled away quickly, she sighed loudly.

I heard myself sigh too, 'really?' I breathed.

I looked down at her smiling face, she bit her bottom lip. I caressed her cheek I leaned in and kissed her once more, 'we'll continue this later Miss Potts.' I whispered against her ear.

She nodded, 'ok.' She said breathlessly, she pushed me away from her and straightened out her skirt. She grinned at me, 'I'll be waiting Mr Stark.' She said quietly just as Rhodey walked in.

He looked at us both, he cleared his throat. 'Am I interrupting something?'

'Yes.' I muttered, Pepper grinned.

'Ok.' Rhodey said apologetically, 'this is a little bit awkward.'

Pepper left us, still smiling.

I looked at him disapprovingly, I took a sip of water from the bottle, 'well it would have been a lot more awkward if Jarvis didn't announce your arrival.'

He looked down at his feet, an awkward smile on his face. 'Well lucky for Jarvis then.' He said.

'Yeah.' I muttered, 'coming?' I headed downstairs and motioned for him to follow.

'Any new developments on the Extremis?' Rhodey asked taking a seat on the couch.

'Not yet, Jarvis is running a program to reverse engineer the serum.' I explained.

'Good, listen Tony.' He started.

I knew where this was going, again.

'Don't worry about it.' I offered a weak smile.

'Tony.' He started again.

I looked back at him, 'seriously, it's fine, pass me that file.' I nodded to the table.

Rhodey handed me the file over his shoulder, 'what are you looking for in there?'

'There's a loose connection somewhere I need to find it, otherwise I'm looking at last week's symptoms, only worse.' I sat down at my desk.

He came over to the screens, he looked over the hundreds of files which scattered the screens, 'I don't know how you can even read that.' He muttered.

I sighed, 'well it's been a gift and a curse.' I rolled my chair over to the other set of screens.

'Yeah, I can imagine, what's it like?' He asked. I sensed a hint of curiosity in his voice.

'I see and process the information through anything which is connected to the grid, as fast as a computer can.' I explained, 'but as I've found out recently, the human brain can't sustain such a high volume of information.'

'But yours obviously can, I mean better than most?' He asked.

I nodded, 'well based on the files I took from Futurepharm, it says there was a small percentile of people who could survive the Extremis process, something like two per cent.'

'So your brains saved your ass.' Rhodey said.

'More or less.' I agreed.

I looked through some more of the files. I welcomed silence, Rhodey obviously didn't, I could read his expressions a mile away. I tried ignoring his persistent sighs.

'When was the last time you ate?' Rhodey finally spoke; he stood with his arms crossed.

'No idea, pass me the tablet there.' I held my hand out, Rhodey placed the device in my hand.

He walked back to the main screens. I brought up some more information and scanned through the new files. Rhodey cleared his throat loudly.

I sighed; I put down the tablet and the files and looked across at him.

'You haven't spoken to me since we came back.' Rhodey said firmly.

'I've been busy.' I said quietly.

'Is there a problem?' Rhodey asked sternly, 'something you want to say to me?'

I shook my head, 'nope, nothing.'

Rhodey shook his head and crossed his arms, 'this whole, saying two words at a time to me, what is that?' He asked firmly.

'I believe the last few sentences were more than two words?' I asked nonchalantly.

He rolled his eyes, 'don't be a smartass.'

I dismissed him, 'I wasn't, and it's a fact.'

'You're being a smartass, and _that's _a fact.' He turned to look at me, 'how long is this going to take?' He nodded to the program Jarvis was running.

I walked over to him and swiped over the last few hours' worth of data, 'based on this, probably three or four hours. Why?'

'Just wondering,' he picked up a loose bolt from the bench and threw it up and down in his hand, 'why'd you send Bruce home?'

I knew there was an agenda, 'because he had a hot date in Calcutta and I didn't feel it was right to keep him all to myself.' I said sarcastically.

'And you can't answer a question seriously because?' Rhodey looked at me sideways.

'Because, Rhodey, some things are none of your concern.' I said firmly.

He cocked his head, 'none of my concern?' he laughed sarcastically, 'really, Tony, since when did we have such a professional partnership?'

'Since you stopped trusting my judgement and tried to undermine me with my own technology.' I said simply. I looked at him sideways.

Rhodey laughed again, 'so you _do_ have things you want to say to me. Why don't we just get it all out in the open right now?'

'Maybe later, I'm busy.' I said coolly.

Rhodey stepped in front of me.

Really? I couldn't believe he was trying this again, 'I don't have time for this.'

'What is your problem?' Rhodey said in a much louder tone than I had usually witnessed.

'The War Machine upgrade is complete sir.' Jarvis announced interrupting our argument. I nodded.

'I don't have a problem.' I stepped around him and made my way back to the bench, I sat down and picked up the tablet, I brought up the specifications for the War Machine.

Rhodey came to stand in front of the bench again, 'you're such a stubborn ass, you know that?' He said.

'Your upgrades are ready, let me know if there's anything else you need done.' I handed him the tablet.

I looked back down at the files on the bench.

'You're acting like a child.' Rhodey said quietly.

'I'll see you later.' I spoke over him.

'Ok.' He muttered, 'thanks for this.' He held up the tablet.

He walked over to the suit and ran over the details on the tablet, after a few moments he placed it back on the bench and suited up. He took off and left me to myself.

I returned to my work. I rubbed my face. I leaned against the table on my elbows, 'Jarvis, monitor the War Machine stats, make sure everything's at full capacity.'

'War Machine is operating at one hundred per cent capacity sir.' Jarvis announced.

'Thank you Jarvis, keep me posted if anything changes.' I instructed.

'Are you concerned about the upgrades?' Jarvis asked.

'Just cautious.' I said quietly.

'Very well sir.' He replied.

I looked at my watch, seven fifteen, perfect. I glanced over the scans one more time. Once I was satisfied that everything was working fine I made my way out of the workshop.

'Pepper?' I called as I ran up the stairs.

I walked around the house, 'Pepper?' I repeated.

No answer. My chest tightened. Where was she? Panic started niggling at the back of my mind.

'Pepper?' I yelled out louder.

I quickened my pace, I walked from room to room, eventually I was running, I ran outside and around the whole house.

'Jarvis, where is she?' I heard my voice falter.

'I am unable to locate Miss Potts.' Jarvis replied.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, I stood on the grass, I looked out over the ocean. The beach; her favourite place. I ran down the path toward the beach. 'When did she leave the house?'

'Approximately thirty seven minutes ago sir.' He replied.

'Trace the cell signal.' I instructed.

'I'm not getting a reading.' Jarvis explained.

No, Pepper, where are you. I felt the onslaught of tears. I finally reached the stairs to the beach. I ran down three steps at a time.

I reached the sand, I looked around, the sun had just set, the beach was deserted, silence broken only by the gentle crash of waves on the shore.

'Pepper?' I called out again.

I looked around, a small glimmer of something shiny laid on a rock caught my eye about ten or so yards away. I ran toward it.

I dropped to my knees, my heart sunk. I picked up the small heart necklace. A single strand of hair was caught in the broken clasp.

'No.' was all I could manage. I didn't even know where to begin. They had Pepper and it was my fault. My selfish need to have her by my side just cost me the most important thing in my life.

I clenched my fist, I felt the menacing point of the heart pierce my skin, droplets of blood flowed through my fingers and fell heavily upon the sand. I stood up calmly and made my way back to the house, I will find them and when I do, I'll kill them all.

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**WOW...aren't I evil...Pepper and Tony just can't catch a break...I promise there'll be happiness eventually! Hope you're all with me :)**

**Hope to hear from you all!**


	16. Chapter 16

**So there was less excitement for the last chapter than i expected :( Thanks for those lovelies who enjoyed and reviewed, hope you enjoy this one.**

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'Tony, Tony where are you?'

I heard Rhodey yelling for me.

I dragged my feet up the stairs which led back to my house, each step was agonising, my heart ached, my lungs threatened to suffocate me. My eyes stung and the lump in the back of my throat grew. My mind raced, every possibility about Pepper's fate ran through my mind. The darkness within me was growing, I could feel the rage, I could feel the anger rising. Any control I felt I had was slipping away from me. The Extremis was powerful, now that the symptoms had lessened, the other side of the equation was much worse. I feared I was losing my grip. My mind was flying, I couldn't string together coherent thoughts, nothing which was of use to me anyway.

'Tony!' I heard Rhodey yell again, he was waiting at the top of the stairs.

I saw him, I saw his face. The look of shock matched the anger within me. I couldn't face anyone, I pushed past him.

'Tony.' He tried to stop me.

Every word sounded a mile away, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk. Every vein was pulsating with rage.

'Tony, Stop.' Rhodey yelled, he finally caught up to me and pulled me back.

I tried to push him away; I succeeded only for a moment. Before I could take another step toward the house he pulled me back.

'Stop Tony, wait.'

'Leave me alone.' I yelled.

I fought against his hold, I pushed him back. He refused to give in. I took a swing at him and my fist met with his jaw, I swung again and again, 'Tony, stop,' he yelled, he tried to block the punches, I couldn't think. I was blind; control was out of my hands. I swung again; this time he dodged my fist and pulled my arm down and twisted me into a headlock. He wrapped his arms around me. 'It's ok, Tony, it's ok.' He said over and over.

Whatever adrenaline was driving me was gone. I fell to my knees, I finally felt the tears which I realised were silently falling since I realised Pepper was gone.

I clutched at his arm, trying to push him away to no avail.

'Jarvis called me, Tony, we'll find her.' I felt Rhodey's hand on my shoulder.

'It's my fault.' I whispered.

'No, it isn't, you couldn't have known.' He tried to reason with me.

I couldn't accept that, it _was _my fault, I should have sent her away from here, I shouldn't have let her get close in the first place. But _my_ need for her overrode logic.

Rhodey took my hand; I opened my fist and let the small heart drop the floor.

He looked at my hand, 'Christ, come on.'

He pulled me up to my feet, he led me up the path and in to the house. He sat me in a chair; he returned with a wet cloth and wiped my hand. My mind drifted in and out. I heard him talking to someone; I heard sirens, then several voices. Rhodey must have spoken to them because they left without talking to me.

'Tony, what happened?' I blinked through the haze; Happy knelt beside me, 'Tony?' He repeated.

I sighed, 'she was waiting for me and they took her.'

Happy ran his hand through his hair, 'are _you_ alright?'

I shook my head, 'they took her because of me.'

Happy stood up and walked over to Rhodey. They both stood with arms crossed. They were speaking in hushed voices but I could still hear them.

'He's in shock.' Happy whispered.

'I'm just worried about what he'll do when he snaps out of it.' Rhodey said.

Happy sighed, 'he's going to get her back.'

'Then he'll kill everyone responsible.' Rhodey said.

'And that's a bad thing?' Happy asked.

'He will hate himself; he will live in regret if he does.' Rhodey explained.

'We're not going to be able to stop him.' Happy said, I noted a hint of concern, maybe even fear in his voice. 'You've seen the power he has, he won't let anyone stand in his way, he beat the shit out of _you_.' He continued.

'He's not in the right frame of mind.' Rhodey retorted, he held a bag of frozen peas to his face.

He was right. I looked at the bandage Rhodey had wrapped my hand in, bruises had formed across my knuckles and blood seeped through the cotton, I clenched my fist. The pain shot through my arm. I closed my eyes and rubbed my face.

'He needs us, we need to stand behind him, if he needs our help, we're doing whatever it takes.' Happy continued.

Rhodey cleared his throat, 'of course we're going to help.'

I stood up, 'this is my mess, and no one else needs to get hurt.'

Happy looked over at me, 'we're helping you.'

I shook my head, 'no, no one else is getting involved.'

Rhodey stood with his arms crossed, 'Tony.'

'Rhodey, no one else is getting hurt because of me.' I walked to the bar.

'We're all here because we're your friends Tony; we're all here by choice.' He retorted.

'She was taken because of me.' I yelled, 'because I wanted her to stay with me, I shouldn't have let her stay.'

'She stayed because she loves you, and we're here to help because we care about you both.' Rhodey said back.

I sat back down, I hung my head.

Rhodey knelt beside me and Happy on the other side, 'what can we do?' Rhodey asked.

I shook my head, 'I don't know, I don't know where they've taken her, or if she's even alive, I don't know.' I closed my eyes.

Happy rubbed my back, 'we'll work it out, we _will_ find her.'

'What if she's gone?' I muttered, I felt sick saying the words, but the odds were not in my favour, I knew how these situations worked, I knew what kidnapping meant, 'what if I've lost her forever?' I breathed. The rage was rising again.

'Don't think like that, you can't let yourself go there.' Rhodey said firmly.

'Sir, incoming call from a blocked number.' Jarvis announced.

I swallowed hard. I stood up, Happy and Rhodey looked at me, a ransom call, this was good, they would bargain for her life, 'answer it.' I said firmly. I clenched my fists.

'Tony Stark…' came the voice, 'as you know by now, Miss Potts is in our company, so as long as you do what we're asking everything will work out.'

'Let me talk to her.' I said firmly.

The voice laughed, 'certainly.'

'Tony?' Pepper's panic stricken voice echoed throughout the house.

I bowed my head, she was alive, at least she was alive.

'Pepper, are you hurt?' I asked her calmly.

'No, I'm alright Tony, I'm so sorry.' She breathed.

'You've nothing to be sorry for.' I said quietly, tears threatening my eyes again, 'I should have been there to protect you.'

'It's not your fault Tony; don't ever think that, I love you so much.' I could hear her voice waiver; I knew the pride would never let her break down in front of them.

I sat back down in the chair, I felt my hands shake; the lights in the house began to flicker on and off, an indication of the Extremis and my mind battling hard to contain the rage which pulsated through my body.

Happy and Rhodey exchanged worried glances. I inhaled deeply; I controlled it as much as I could. I concentrated on the signal from the call, within seconds I could see where they were, how many there were and most importantly what kind of tech they had. I squeezed my eyes shut, the flickering intensified and the lights above me exploded.

'Tony, just come and get me ok?' She whispered.

I opened my eyes, 'I will, I'll find you and this will all be over, Pepper, just be strong for me.' I said as calmly as I could. She didn't need to hear my rage, I needed to be calm for her, and I needed to be confident so she would be.

'Tony, I want to dance with you again.' She whispered.

I dropped my head in my hands, 'we will, I promise.' I whispered back.

The voice came back on the line, 'now that we've gotten that out of the way, the request is simple.' He said.

I ordered Jarvis to switch off loudspeaker and braced myself, 'name it.'

'Your life for hers.'

I nodded. 'Done.' I said unflinchingly.

'Seventeenth Street, the cliff base at the end of the drive, tomorrow night at eight, be there or be square.' He laughed then disconnected the call.

I stood up; I ran my hands through my hair.

'What is it boss?' Happy asked, 'what do they want?'

'You know, the usual.' I lied, I feigned a smile.

Rhodey's head dropped, 'what do they want Tony?'

'What they always want.' I said simply.

'This is bad.' Happy added.

I smiled weakly, 'it could be always be worse.'

Rhodeys eyes said it all. He knew me almost as well as Pepper did, he knew what I meant and he knew that there was no question that I would do what needed to be done. I knew she was alive and where she was, and all they wanted was a simple trade. She would hate me for a while, and she'd be angry, but then she'd be ok, as long as she was alive everything would be worth it.

I smiled at my friends, 'I'm going to try and disable as much as I can on the suits and Extremis so it can't be used to full capacity.'

Happy shook his head, 'you won't be able to protect yourself if you do that.'

Rhodey looked down at his feet, he didn't need to say what he was thinking, I could see it.

I cleared my throat, 'it is what it is,' I left them, 'I'll see you later.' I said over my shoulder.

I walked with my head held high. I could make a difference, and I would. Pepper's life would be spared, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

**So this will only get worse before it can get better, hope you're all still with me! **


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter is probably one of the darker ones I've written, it's quite sinister, but you know that I will look after you all eventually, let me know what you think of it :)**

* * *

The musty smell of old carpet and plaster stung my nostrils. I strained my eyes to see where I was, all I could make out were stains on the walls and the floors. Dark, dried up pools made my heart sink; they couldn't be anything else but blood. I'd seen these kinds of stains in crime shows, when they pull up the carpet and find the underlay marked with someone's life long gone. I quickly turned my attention away from that and looked around trying to make out any details which may help me in identifying this place later, _if_ I ever got out.

There was a small round window to my left, it was dark outside, so we must still be in the same state, this was a good sign. This wasn't going to be a long term thing. I tried to focus on the other aromas in the area, any obvious trees or plants, or factories even, nothing. All I could smell was the stench. I had to fight hard to keep from throwing up. The bile in the back of my throat was building up, the stench was unbearable.

I felt my own blood sticking to my clothes; I didn't know where I was bleeding from, nor how bad it was. Everything was numb, my arms felt heavy as the ropes cut through my skin, I felt the burn as the wounds were healed and reopened every time I moved. I tried to shut out the pain, there was no point in dwelling in it, it was there and that was a fact. The best I could do was focus on something else, anything else. Tony, his voice, I got to hear his voice. I closed my eyes, I tried to hold on to the sweet sound.

'So you got to speak to dear old Tony, now it's your turn to give me what I want.' The man said with a sadistic grin on his face.

'I would rather die.' I spat at him, a mixture of saliva and blood hit him in the cheek.

The grin didn't leave his face, instead he took a tissue from his pocket and wiped the spit off his cheek calmly and pulled a chair closer and sat in front of me. He crossed his legs and sat looking at me. He considered his words carefully.

'Now you know that can be arranged, don't tempt me, Miss Potts.' He said calmly.

I glared at him, 'who are you?' I muttered.

'I'm Tony's reckoning.' He whispered back.

My heart sunk, 'what do you want from him?' I whispered.

'I want what he has, money, power, fame and the girl of course, in other words Miss Potts, I want his life.' He smirked; he ran his finger across my cheek.

I turned away from him; I felt the onslaught of tears, a helpless feeling which threatened my sanity. I wouldn't cry, not in front of this sadistic bastard. The grin on his face made me sick. I closed my eyes. Breathe Pepper, in then out. I opened my eyes and faced him again.

'Even if you have all that, you'll never be like him.' I managed.

He leaned back in his chair, he sighed, 'you don't get it.' He said simply donning a mock look of hurt.

'Enlighten me.' I muttered.

He stood up and walked behind me, he ran his fingers up and down my arm, I felt like I was going to be sick.

'I want to touch you the way he does, I want to be respected the way he is.' He trailed his fingers across my shoulders, stopping at the thin straps of my dress. He traced lines along them before pushing them aside. I felt the straps slip off my shoulders. I mentally thanked the designers at Chanel for the inbuilt front support of their dresses.

I felt the tears threatening to escape my eyes.

'I want _everything_ he has.' I felt the palm of his hand against my chest; he traced the skin above the dress.

I tried to hold in a gasp, I thrashed against his touch, 'don't touch me.' I finally screamed.

He laughed and knotted his fingers through my hair and pulled my head back to look up at him, the cruel look in his eyes terrified me, I knew he had nothing to lose; he was crazy and completely fearless. I forced back the tears, I wouldn't cry, I would never give him that satisfaction.

He lowered his face so it was inches from mine, he moved closer to my ear, 'I will get what I want one way or another Pepper.' He whispered.

I turned away, his breath was sickening. He pulled my face toward his, he licked my cheek, I felt the vomit threaten to escape.

'Leave her alone.' A voice beamed across the room, two men walked in. One wore a black suit, and the other a grey one.

He stepped away from me, 'just having a little fun.' He said with a grin.

'You can have your fun when we get what we need from Stark.' The black suit spoke.

They came toward me, the grey suit sat in the chair, 'my name is Rommel, this is Rick,' he pointed to the black suit, 'and this is Mark.' He pointed to the first man.

'So, has my friend told you what we're all doing here?' Rommel asked in a sickly sweet tone.

'Don't patronise me.' I hissed.

Rommel smiled, 'Not at all, such an intelligent woman deserves a lot more respect than that.' He took a tissue from his pocket and wiped my cheek, 'much better.'

He pulled out a small silver device and smiled at me, 'leave us.' He ordered the other two men.

They both grinned and left the room.

'So you're going to torture me now?' I asked. I knew it was inevitable, I only hoped I could hold out long enough to see Tony's face one more time.

'I wouldn't dream of it.' He held the device closer to me so I could see. It was smooth and silver, small buttons dotted one side, the other side had the familiar logo of _Stark Industries_ etched into it.

I looked at it, curiosity crept into my mind. This was bad, Tony's weapons were always the most feared and sought after. Whatever this was, it was deceptively innocent looking.

'Do you know what this is?' He spoke calmly.

'No.' I answered as calmly as I could.

He nodded, 'well, let me explain.' He pulled the chair closer to me, he leaned in so that his was inches away from me, 'this little creation here is Starktech, one of Tony's finest creations, it was never approved for military use because it's a little unorthodox.' He pushed one of the buttons; it emitted a low humming noise. 'This is a neuron stabiliser, it temporarily paralyses a person, how temporarily depends on how long you press this button.'

I remembered back a few years ago, Stane did this to Tony; he paralysed him to steal his reactor right out of his chest. My heart sunk. I knew exactly what it was. It was powerful and sickeningly simple.

'So as you can imagine, back then Tony was a lot stronger than he is now, now his mind is a little off the rails, wouldn't you agree?' He smiled at me, 'oh come on Pepper, you know what I'm talking about.'

'You're crazy.' I whispered.

He laughed, 'that is a matter of opinion.' He cleared his throat, 'anyway what I'm getting at, is that now that his brain is a little, compromised, this little baby here,' he held the neutraliser up, 'will neutralise him, permanently.'

'You'll never get close enough to use it.' I hoped that proximity mattered.

Rommel grinned, 'actually, Pepper, proximity has nothing to do with it.'

The look on my face must have portrayed how disheartened I was.

'You see, my friends and I created and worked the Extremis, it wasn't as good as Tony's reworked version, but that only means that we have something to use against him we wouldn't have had otherwise.' He explained.

'You, you're from the restaurant the other night?' Everything clicked in my mind.

'Now we're seeing the true brilliance of Starks assistant.' He laughed.

'The reporter?' I muttered.

'Yes, she was one of ours, lovely girl, Veronica.' He cleared his throat, 'so you see, it's rather simple.' He began, 'bring him here, get him to patch into our systems and bam, we've caught ourselves an Iron Man.'

'No.' I breathed.

'Yes, it's brilliant, he wrote his own death.' He laughed. He got up and made his way back to the door.

'Don't,' I heard myself say.

He turned around, 'don't?'

'Don't do this, he can do anything you need, don't do this.' I said as firmly as my voice allowed.

He walked back over to me and spun the chair around and sat down again, he sighed, 'Pepper, Pepper, Pepper, I wish there were another way.'

'There is, he can write the Extremis again, you know he'll do it to save me.' I tried to bargain, my voice shook. I was pleading.

'Yes, that's true, but you see, _we_ can't use the Extremis, there's only a small percentile, a _miniscule_ percentile of people who can sustain the Extremis virus, and Tony is the only one who can.' He explained, 'we don't just need the Virus, we need his blood, his mind.'

My jaw dropped, they weren't bargaining for his work, they weren't bargaining for anything at all, they needed him dead, 'oh my god.' I breathed.

He touched my knee and stood up, 'sorry kiddo, I'm a huge fan of Disney; it's a shame you won't get your fairy tale ending.'

He left me to myself, I finally let myself cry, I broke down, I screamed and I yelled. I pulled as hard as I could to free my arms. Only the sound of my screams and the pain throbbing in my head kept me company. The blood flowed freely, I cared not how much it hurt, or how much blood I'd lost. Because tomorrow my heart would stop, tomorrow Tony would be gone; tomorrow the pain of these bleeding wounds would be a welcome change from the true suffering which was coming at me fast, like a freight train.

* * *

**So there we are...something for the angsty lovers, hope you're still on board with what's going on!**


	18. Chapter 18

**WARNING: this chapter has serious themes and is quite dark in nature. I know there'll be some people who won't like it, it is quite violent. Don't say I didn't warn you, if you proceed to read, don't hold me against it!**

** ALSO: The Italics are Peppers POV (incase it isn't obvious)**

* * *

The night was a cruel joke; I lay awake in the bed, _our_ bed, staring up at the ceiling. I couldn't sleep, I don't know why I was even here, I should be in the workshop working on a way to find Pepper, I shouldn't be wasting time _trying_ to sleep. For hours I lay awake, I ran through every conversation I'd ever had with her, I remembered them all. I remembered every call every smile every touch. I remember the way she looked when we first danced together. I remember how mortified she was to be just another girl, she could never be that, she was Pepper, _my _Pepper, the one thing in this world I can't live without. But I couldn't blame her; my actions weren't that of a man serious about a single woman, I sighed. It took me almost ten years and death knocking on my door to see what was always in front of me. I looked over to the empty side of the bed. If I lost all that now, I would never forgive myself. I sat up and swung my legs out of bed.

'Jarvis, what time is it?' I asked quietly.

'Seven past four, sir.' Jarvis replied.

'Good, get everything set up downstairs, I'm not wasting any more time.'

'With all due respect sir, you need some rest, you're not going to be of any use to anyone if you're passing out.' Jarvis interrupted.

'I'm not passing out and I'm not tired.' I retorted.

'Perhaps not sir, but your vitals indicate otherwise, because of the Extremis, your mind is not rested, your brain waves are showing erratic patterns.'

'The erratic patterns are me feeling like I'm going to kill whoever took Pepper, not the Extremis.' I argued. I couldn't believe I was arguing with Jarvis.

'The Extremis is counteracting the antigen, you may not be feeling the symptoms but your mind is experiencing them. You're beta waves are extremely high.' Jarvis added.

I rubbed my face, 'that's because I'm completely infuriated Jarvis.' I yelled.

I felt the rage creeping up on me again.

'Precisely sir, you're losing control of your emotions; this loss of control is affecting you physically. Your brain is struggling to differentiate between the Extremis and your own brainwaves.' Jarvis explained.

I shook my head, I took a deep breath, he was right, I knew it was true. More and more I felt myself falling farther into the darkness. I hit my best friend yesterday, I could have killed him if he didn't stop me, I shuddered to think what I could do without any restrictions…more importantly what someone else could do with this technology if they got it from me.

'They're going to try and harvest my brain cells and the Extremis, they're going to try and fuse it with their own.' I muttered.

'Whatever you do, you cannot connect with their systems. They will take you down.' Jarvis said.

I nodded, 'I know.'

I got dressed and made my way downstairs, I keyed in my entrance code and the workshop lit up with life. The lights came on as well as the Black Sabbath Paranoid album, Iron Man, I laughed to myself.

I sat in front of the screens for hours, skimming through endless terabytes of information; my mind flew through the data like I was reading a simple book. I felt what Jarvis was talking about, _I _wasn't tired, but I could feel my body fatiguing by the hour. I persevered; there was no way I was giving up now. I finally found the schematics I was looking for.

'Show me the skeleton of the building Jarvis.'

A three dimensional floor plan came up before me, I smiled, 'got you.' I looked over the schematics of the building, 'Jarvis, we need to find the best way in.'

'I suggest the rear entrance on the second floor is most likely the best option.' Jarvis offered.

I spun the three dimensional floor plan and looked it over and over.

'You're right and from what I could gather, there are three of them orchestrating the whole thing, but there are going to be guards on every floor at every entrance.' I pointed to the several entrance points.

'There's no way out of this alive, Tony.' Rhodey stood at the entrance to the workshop, he turned down the music.

I looked up at him.

'There's always a way out.' I said simply. I instructed Jarvis to turn the music back up.

Rhodey looked down at his feet, 'let me help you.'

I wanted nothing more than to have my best friend at my side, probably for the last time, but I couldn't put his life at risk.

'You know the odds of walking away from this are slim, if not completely non-existent, we have a better chance of getting to her if we go together.' He explained.

His logic was sound, 'I know that.' I couldn't come up with a valid argument.

'You know I can look after myself, the War Machine does a good job of that.' He added.

I looked away from him, it would be better to have another set of eyes on the location. 'Ok, but we're doing it my way.'

He nodded, 'of course.'

He sat down beside me; I spun the image around for him.

'This is our best shot at getting into the building,' I showed him the rear entrance on the second floor, 'if you take the permitter it'll give us a vantage point.'

'How many of them are there?' He looked at me.

'Three running the show, and based on the amount of entrance points and floors, I would estimate at least seven or eight guards.' I bowed my head, I looked at him sideways.

'We've taken on worse than this together.' Rhodey said confidently, 'remember the Hammeroid attack?'

We both laughed.

'Yes, that was a pain in the ass.' I said with a smirk.

Rhodey nodded, 'completely _asinine_.'

I laughed, 'well, this time is a little different.' I said more seriously.

'What are we up against?' Rhodey asked.

'_My_ weapons; Starktech.' I ran my fingers through my hair.

I still shuddered whenever I thought about how close I came to falling at the hands of my own creations.

'In a way it's a good thing, at least you know what to expect, you can count on them to _not_ malfunction.' He grinned again.

I laughed, 'yes, that is a valid point.'

He spun the projection around and looked at me, 'if we take out the power box here, it'll shut down the power to the majority of the block, that way we can get closer to the actual building, take out the guards and get in and out unnoticed by anyone on the upper floors.'

'That's a good plan, but we'll need to go solo, no suits on this one.' I explained.

'Exactly, and who can telekinetically call upon their suit if things get messy?' Rhodey grinned.

I nodded. I knew that was exactly what they wanted; they knew I would be able to work out what was waiting for me. They counted on it. I knew there was no other way around it. As soon as I locked into their system, they would take me out. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

'See, easy, in and out.' Rhodey added.

I smiled weakly, 'couldn't be easier.' I lied.

'What's the deadline?' Rhodey asked.

'Eight, tonight.' I looked at my watch, 'twelve hours to go.'

I leaned my elbows on the desk and rubbed my face.

'We'll get her back.' Rhodey clapped my back.

'I have no doubt.' I said. Getting _myself_ out however, that was another matter entirely.

* * *

_I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness, my mouth was dry and it hurt to breathe. The rope burns were extremely prominent in my mind now. The throbbing pulsated throughout my whole body. My neck ached from the position in which I was forced to sit. My head lulled forward. From what I could work out, I had been here for more than eighteen hours. _

'_Hurry, Tony.' I whispered into the dark. _

_I was blindfolded now; I guess that was to keep the element of shock whenever they did something to me. I'd already seen their faces, and heard their names. I highly doubted they would let me leave now. _

_I heard the door swing open, and shut gently, a new sound made my heart drop, a key. He turned the lock. The footsteps came toward me. I kept my head down; I had neither energy nor desire to fight him._

'_The time is nearing Miss Potts.' The first man, Mark, spoke._

_I swallowed hard, his voice terrified me._

_He ran his fingers across my back again. I felt his breath on my cheek. With a swift movement he jammed a cloth in my mouth and tied another over it, gagging me. I instinctively tried to scream, only gagging myself more. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. There was no controlling the feelings which enveloped me._

'_Now, no one can interrupt us because no one will hear you scream.' He breathed against my ear._

_I was shocked when a powerful hit connected with my face, the force was so hard that it knocked me down with the chair. I fell in a heap on the floor, my head slammed into the thinly carpeted floor, the chair and my weight on it crushed my arms, I tried to yell. Instead I felt my own vomit suffocating me. Hot tears poured from my eyes. _

_Through the screaming in my head and the pounding of my heart I heard his laugh, his heavy breathing._

_He cut away the ropes which bound me, he turned me on my stomach, and pressed himself against me._

'_I'd like to see you fight this.' He hissed in my ear. He ripped my already tattered dress; I felt the cold air attack my skin, his rough hands felt like knives. Every fibre of my being was screaming. I tried to fight against him; his weight on me was immovable. _

_He ran his hand up my thigh._

_I tried to fight, I knew it was impossible._

_He pulled my arms behind my back and held them with one hand while he ripped apart the clasp of my bra._

_No, god no, please, anything but this. I squeezed my eyes shut. I blocked out everything that was happening, instead I thought of Tony, his eyes, his warm smile, the way he looked at me when I laughed, the way he touched me to say I was only his. I felt the tears continuously flow. I prayed to whoever was listening for this to be over, for me to somehow black out and not be present._

_Someone must have been listening because a loud bang in the background jolted my mind back to the present. My heart raced. Was someone actually here to help me?_

* * *

'Tony, I'm covering you, get Pepper.' Rhodey yelled toward me.

The house burned around us, and the dust cloud made it impossible to see, I followed his voice, I couldn't risk using the Extremis. If I did, we'd all be dead.

Rhodey fired at the guards, he took them out one by one, I sprinted through the falling debris.

Communicating the old fashioned way was difficult; I pushed the earpiece as I ran blind, 'Rhodey, where am I going? Which way?'

'Right, turn right, the room at the end of the hall, hurry she's in trouble.' I heard Rhodey yell in my ear.

The system hack through the power box was a breeze; Rhodey had eyes on every room in the house without me having to resort to using the Extremis at all.

'Hurry Tony, she needs you.' He yelled again.

I felt myself speed up, I was running on pure adrenaline, and infuriating anger, I spotted the door at the end of the hall. I threw all my weight against it and it came clean off the hinges; I shielded my eyes from the dust which continued to fall over the room. A man a few feet away from me jumped up and turned toward me, pure rage flooded my body when I saw the grin on his face and Pepper on the floor. I clenched my fist, without even thinking I ran toward him. I swung at him. My fist met his face, then his stomach, over and over and over. I didn't even realise he was limp until his gargled screams finally stopped.

* * *

_Whatever fate found him was justified. _

_I tried to calm my breathing down; I struggled against the noise in the background but made my way to my knees. I peeled away the blindfold from my eyes and removed the gag, I crawled away from the noise; the dark was cruel to my eyes, I couldn't focus, I couldn't see. I felt around for what was left of my dress and covered myself. _

* * *

I dropped to my knees beside her, I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her body, her tattered dress was stained with her dried blood. I brushed her hair away from her face. Sweat and blood drenched her body. I wrapped my arms around her as gently as I could. She froze under my touch. I was so angry I couldn't even talk, I couldn't even comfort her. The lump in the back of my throat restricted everything. I only felt my own tears as I saw her. She relaxed once I pulled her closer to me.

* * *

'_Tony.' I breathed._

_He didn't speak, I felt his arms around me, pulling me tighter against him. I felt his arms under me, he picked me up. I instinctively lay my face against his shoulder and he silently carried me out of the room. My nostrils picked up the scent of grass and wet leaves. We were outside. My lungs gasped and thanked me for the air. _

* * *

I ran outside shielding her from the debris and the firing, I cradled her in my arms, the bruises and dried blood on her face was a cruel contrast against her pale skin.

I made it outside to the waiting car, Happy opened the passage door, I gently sat her in the seat and slammed the door.

* * *

'_Drive, get her out of here.' I heard him yell._

_The anger in his voice was evident; I was terrified for the men responsible. They deserved everything that was coming to them_.

* * *

**So there we are...I hope I haven't angered everyone and lost all my readers! I promise there'll be happiness soon! As they always say, it has to get really bad before it can get better! I hope the changes of view weren't too jarring to the flow. **

**Either way, good or bad, please let me know how you found this. I do like to know whether I'm pushing the boundaries to unacceptable lengths, or whether people are ok with the dark themes. **

**Looking forward to hearing from you! On a happy note, it's almost halloween! Ahhhhh SO excited :) candy candy candy!**


	19. Chapter 19

**WOW...thank you So much for the awesome reviews guys! I was really happy to see that people aproved of the chapter! So here's another to make you happy! Argh...I'm getting nervous about the darkness of this FF, I hope I'll still have friends at the end of this!**

* * *

'Pepper, stay with me.' Happy said firmly.

I felt the speed at which we drove, where are we going ? I tried to focus but I couldn't make it out.

Happy squeezed my hand, 'don't leave us Pep, focus on my voice, come on.' He rubbed my shoulder.

I'm not going anywhere. Where's Tony?

'Pepper, don't you dare give up' Happy pleaded.

I shivered, but I wasn't cold anymore, I snuggled deeper into the jacket which covered my body. The smell was comforting; it was as comfortable as being with Tony, in our bed, our warm bed.

'We're nearly there Pep, hold on for me.' Happy spoke again.

I'm trying, I am, I don't know what's wrong, why am I shivering? Where's Tony? Why isn't he with us? Why isn't he here?

'It's ok Pep, we're almost there.' Happy squeezed my hand.

I tried to nod, I couldn't. I swallowed hard, I felt warmth coming over me, my eyes felt heavy and I felt my head loll sideways. Where are you Tony? My mind ran through the last few minutes, I couldn't remember anything at all, I was crying, I was struggling, there were screams, but they weren't my own. A man, I suddenly remembered, I jolted in my seat, no, Tony, they were going to kill him.

Happy sped up, he squeezed my hand, 'it's ok, Pep, you're safe, you're ok.' He tried to soothe me.

'No, Tony.' I muttered, it hurt to talk, my whole face was throbbing, 'Tony, please no.' I cried.

'He's ok, he'll be ok, stay with me, Pep.' Happy rubbed my arm.

The car finally came to a halt, I heard the doors open and shut, the cold wind pierced my skin, Happy swiftly pulled me into his arms.

'Help us, please, she's hurt.' I heard him yell.

Voices instantly surrounded us, I flinched every time someone touched me, I heard Happy still trying to soothe me, a prick in my arm settled me instantly, I felt myself being lowered onto a bed, the cushions underneath my head were a comfort, they tried to pull away the jacket, I clutched it to my chest.

'Leave that with her.' Happy instructed.

Thank you, I tried to say, I felt at ease, it was finally completely still and peaceful.

* * *

'Tony!' Rhodey's voice rang through the coms. I ripped the ear piece out and dropped it. I walked determinedly toward the location of the ring leader. The fire burned and raged around me, the debris no longer threatened me; I caught a glimpse of myself in a reflection through a broken window.

Blood covered my face and my arms I couldn't tell whether it was mine, or the animal I just slaughtered.

Peppers face was etched in my mind, the terror, her tears, _her_ blood. I couldn't stop my mind from wandering, what did he do to her? His filthy hands on her body bore into my mind. Her bare skin under his touch, the way he pinned to the ground. I clenched my fists, the rage was blinding. I didn't even feel the heat from the flames as they attacked my body. I grit my teeth and pushed through the fiery haze. The door at the end of the hall beckoned me. I knew he was there, I knew he would probably be the last thing I see. I didn't care. Someone had to be held accountable for Pepper.

'Tony Stark.' The voice beamed through the roar of fire.

'Rommel.' I hissed.

Two terrified looking guards stood beside him, 'I see you've done your research.' He grinned. 'Welcome to my humble abode.' He laughed holding his arms out.

The guards didn't find the situation amusing.

Beams from the ceiling fell down around us; I didn't flinch, neither did he. The guards stammered backwards.

'I'm going to kill you.' I said calmly.

'I was certainly hoping for a climactic ending to this saga.' He grinned.

'I won't disappoint.' I managed. A smirk ran across my face.

An explosion of windows around us finally sent the two guards running for cover.

'Afraid, Stark?' he mocked me.

'Terrified.' I smirked.

'Then let's put you out of your misery.' He laughed.

He ran toward me before I could think his fist met with my stomach.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him down, my knee met with his face.

I was momentarily winded but I recovered my position. I threw him to the ground and pressed my knee against his neck.

He struggled for a few seconds, he hit me in the ribs over and over, I didn't give in, I retaliated with return punches to his face. He laughed. I looked down at the sadistic grin on his face; before I could react I felt a sharp pain in my side and an elbow to my face. I faltered, I lost my grip on him and his foot met with my jaw.

I stumbled backwards and fell to my knees. I instinctively clutched at my side; I looked at the blood which stained my hand. 'Playing dirty.' I muttered.

I got back to my feet; he stood a few feet away from me, a small knife in his hand.

Another beam fell between us; I finally started to feel the heat on my skin. I stepped back and shielded my face with my arm.

'You can easily get out of this Stark, I just want the Extremis.' He yelled over the raging inferno.

'That's never going to happen.' I yelled.

'Don't be an idiot.' He chastised me.

I stood my ground, 'it adds to my charm, wouldn't you say?' I said with a straight face.

A quick moment later a bright flash sent half the wall behind me shattering into the lower levels.

A repulsor blast ripped through the walls, 'Tony!' Rhodey's voice yelled through the War Machine.

In that moment I realised how much my body was lacking oxygen, the hole in the house let fresh air in and my lungs struggled to inhale. The fire burned through the house.

'Call on the Extremis and save yourself.' Rommel yelled.

I fell to my knees, Rhodey started toward me, 'no!' I yelled.

Without hesitation, my mind connected to the house, to Jarvis and to the War Machine. He stopped in his tracks, unable to move.

'Get out of here.' I said through the internal coms.

'Tony he's going to kill you, drop the connection and get out.'

I shook my head, 'no choice, leave!' I yelled through the smoke, 'keep Pepper safe.'

The suit obeyed, I watched as he took off into the sky.

I turned back to Rommel, I closed my eyes, I commanded the suit and it began assembling itself around me. I knew there was no other way. I could stand here and be stubborn and die, or I could die trying to fight. I knew Rhodey would be calling for me. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

'Jarvis shut down coms.'

Rommel pulled out a gun; I recognised it immediately, Stark weapons. How ironic.

A large flame ripped through the floor below us, he shielded his eyes from the fire, I took this to my advantage and advanced toward him. I lunged at him though the fire. My boots crushed the brittle beams beneath me.

I knocked him to the ground, the weight of the suit pinned him down. He shot at me; the gun was a low frequency EMP blaster, my own weapons against me. I stammered backwards. I regained my balance; I made a move toward him.

'Stop right there.' He yelled, he raised his other hand. He held up the neuron stabiliser.

He grinned at me, blood stained his teeth, he spat at the floor and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

My heart sunk, I knew it was coming. I saw it when I found the schematics to this building. I knew this was his play all along. The least I could manage was to take him down with me. But where was the other guy? I knew this wouldn't be over, even if I managed to kill Rommel, the other one would come, he would finish his work. I knew how these things played out.

'Jarvis, initiate the self-destruct sequence.' It was all I could do to protect the world, to stop the Extremis making its way into the wrong hands again.

He grinned at me; his finger hovered over the button, 'I know you're more than familiar with this little gem.' He spoke loudly, the roar of the fire was deafening.

My heart raced, the flames danced around us, eerie shadows lingered like the ghost which I knew I would soon become.

'Give me the Extremis and I let you walk.' He said simply.

'We both know that's a lie, Rom.' I said through gritted teeth.

He laughed, 'well it was worth a shot.' He laughed, his finger moved to push the button.

My mind clicked straight away and I managed to fire a repulsor beam at him. He dropped to his knees; I watched the flames engulf him as he fell through the floor. I smiled to myself.

Slowly I felt my body weakening; I looked over to where his body fell. The stabiliser lay on the ground. I fell to my knees; the familiar hum brought the memories rushing back. The pain, the fear, the confusion. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I couldn't command anything. I was back on the couch, Stane's face inches from mine_, 'you think that just because you have an idea that it belongs to you?' _I tried to speak; I tried to tell him he was crazy. But it was useless, no matter what I said or how many times I said it. There would always be someone like him, always another Stane who wanted to rule the world. I fought against the suffocating numbness.

My lungs failed me and my heart struggled with every beat.

I lay in the rubble staring up at the starry night. The roof was completely burnt through and tiny droplets of water mixed with ash fell gently from the sky. I felt the heat closing in on me, a strong vibration from underneath caused the fragile floor to shatter beneath the weight of my suit, I felt myself falling and falling.

I crashed into the ground below; the flames engulfed me. The metallic taste in my mouth was oddly familiar; I felt the blood seep out of the corner of my mouth. I couldn't fight it anymore; instead I lay silently looking up at the world burning around me. I smiled.

The Extremis was out of their reach, and Pepper, Pepper was safe.

Darkness slowly enveloped me, but Peppers face stayed with me until it finally ended. I closed my eyes.

* * *

**I was actually quite emotional writing this, I hope I did the characters some justice, also for those who may be freaking out about the end, don't! If you remember the beginning, this is not the end! **

**Please let me know how you found this! I'm working on the next installment as we speak, pretty excited :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**WOW. I totally made myself sad writing this, and the next one was even more difficult, but we need to get through the darkness to see the light. I promise there will be light, lots of happy, warm light, just bear with me until then hehe :)**

* * *

I regained control of my suit again; I swallowed hard, 'Jarvis, what's happening?'

'Mr Stark has initiated the self-destruct sequence.' Jarvis replied.

'Self-destruct?' I pushed faster through the sky, 'what the hell does that mean?'

I flew toward the house. My stomach dropped, the horizon was alight. I flew toward the flames and landed a few yards away.

'He has erased the Extremis.' He replied coolly.

'Tony.' I yelled through the flames, the roar of the fire was deafening, I couldn't hear myself, let alone anybody else.

'Tony!' I repeated, I couldn't make anything out from within the flames, I shielded my face, the armour kept me cool, but the flames were menacing. I blasted through the shattered building; the walls flew apart like foam.

'Jarvis where is he?' I yelled.

'His signal is lost, I cannot locate him.' He replied.

No, Tony, what the hell, this can't be happening. Panic pulsated through my veins, I ran through the burning building, bodies of the subdued guards lay strewn across the fallen levels, I rushed around from room to room, I finally caught a glint of red and gold armour, 'Tony!'

He lay amongst the flames, the roof collapsed around him, blasted the debris away from him.

'Jarvis, contact Fury, Tony is down, I need him to have S.H.I.E.L.D paramedics on standby.' I yelled, I made my way to his side, I knelt beside him, I took hold of his arms and pulled him.

The house collapsed around us, I dragged his body through the rubble, I finally made it outside and collapsed beside him.

'Colonel Rhodes, what is the situation?' Fury's voice came through.

I tried to catch my breath and control my voice, 'I don't know, I can't get a read on his vitals, I can't open the face plate, Jarvis has no signal, it's bad, get someone down here, now!'

'ETA for pick up is three minutes, hang tight Colonel.'

The call disconnected.

I knelt beside Tony, 'can you hear me Buddy?' I tapped on his helmet, 'come on Tony, you can't do this.'

I hit the chest plate on his armour, 'come on, wake up!' I yelled.

No response, the reactor was still lit up, that was a good sign, 'come on Tony.' I hit him again.

Nothing.

The helicopters landed a few yards away; Natasha, Thor and Steve came running. I raised my face plate, 'hurry.' I pleaded.

Thor knelt beside Tony; he ripped the face plate off.

He was still, his eyes were closed and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth. My heart sunk.

'No, something is wrong, the reactor is working, why isn't he waking up?' I muttered.

'We have to get him to base.' Natasha instructed the Paramedics to bring a stretcher.

Thor lifted him onto the stretcher and they took him away to the waiting helicopters.

I got in with Tony, I stood by the doors, I watched as they tried to revive my best friend. The harder they tried, the less hope I had. His eyes remained closed, unmoving.

'We need to get the armour off, we can't assess the situation like this.' One of the paramedics yelled, she motioned for Thor to come over and assist.

I flinched as he tore away the armour, piece by piece, I could just imagine Tony's reaction if he saw this.

The armour lay in pieces around us, only now could I see how dire his condition was. The lower half of his body was drenched in blood which still continued to flow.

'We've got a stab wound, most likely a punctured lung; we need bloods on standby when we get back to base.' The same paramedic explained.

I watched on as they worked, they cleaned his wounds; another paramedic took his heart rate.

I bowed my head, I couldn't take it. Natasha came to stand beside me, Tony's blood marked her arms, 'what happened?' she asked firmly.

'They took Pepper, it was a rescue op, it was straightforward.' I muttered.

She shook her head, 'as far as he told you.'

I looked at her, curiosity ignited within me, 'you think he lied about the specs of the mission?'

'I would, if I knew there was no other way.' She explained.

Of course he would lie, he _knew_ what was waiting for him, I remembered our conversation instantly.

'_See, easy, in and out.' _I had said.

His face betrayed his response, _'yeah.'_

My heart sunk.

'Don't blame yourself.' She said as if knowing what my mind was processing.

The rest of the flight was quiet; they had given up on him. His body lay on the gurney. The reactor glowed innocently, false hope resonating from within it, his eyes remained closed, body unmoving.

I watched as if in slow motion as they pulled the sheet over his face, 'no, what are they doing, Tony!' I heard myself yell, 'what are they doing?' I moved towards them.

Thor stood beside me; he took hold of my arm, 'I'm sorry.' He whispered.

'No.' I looked back at him, 'he's not dead, let me go, you're making a mistake.' I struggled against his hold.

I saw why they had brought him on board.

Everything else was a blur; a vague sequence of events was clear in my mind. We landed, they took him away, and I sat in his makeshift workshop, I used _his_ workshop to disassemble my armour.

I sat with my head in my hands, Pepper. I couldn't even comprehend telling her, how could I tell her when _I_ didn't believe what was happening.

I let tears fall silently, I was completely shattered.

'Can I come in?' Natasha stood at the door.

I nodded wordlessly.

She took a seat beside me, 'I know this isn't the best time, but it needs to be done.' She handed me a folder.

I took it and looked at the label, "Incident Report".

'We need to know what happened, take your time.'

She stood up and awkwardly touched my shoulder.

'He's not dead.' I muttered.

'His mind is no longer there, he's gone.' She said simply.

That's it, as simple as that, his mind is gone and my best friend is never coming back.

'There has to be something.' I couldn't accept it, I just couldn't.

'I'm sorry Rhodey.' She said quietly, she stopped at the door, 'we're keeping him in the infirmary until everyone pays their respects.'

I was left alone.

I sat in the room, I looked around at the small bits and pieces which made this his. Tools, books, computers and tablets. And a small black, leather bound book. I picked it up and flicked through it. I broke down, photos of Pepper, photos of us from college, newspaper clippings about Iron Man and War Machine, specs and ideas for upgrades.

I closed it and put it back; my phone rang and jolted me.

My heart sunk, Happy. I stared at the caller ID. I couldn't answer it. Call after call dropped out. He called over and over again. I must have missed about eleven calls before I finally answered.

I tried to steady my voice.

'Happy.'

'Pepper's in recovery, she's going to be fine, did you find boss man?' His voice was a haze.

I couldn't answer him, I couldn't speak. I swallowed away the pain. But it still lingered.

'Rhodey?' He repeated.

I dropped my head in my hand, 'he's gone.' I whispered. My hands shook; I clutched the phone as hard as I could. I took a deep breath. Words failed me.

'What, who's gone?' Happy asked firmly, 'Rhodey?' He called my name, 'Rhodey what the hell is going on?'

I cleared my throat, I could barely breathe, the tears assaulted me, 'they killed him.'

Happy didn't answer, I didn't speak. Silence.

'I'll see you at the hospital.' I managed finally and hung up.

I let the phone drop the floor. There was nothing more.

* * *

**As always, let me know what you think, any advice is much appreciated :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**OK ladies and gentlemen, here comes some super angst and a little bit of light at the end...**

* * *

I stood with my mouth open, there was nothing I could say or do or think.

'Sir?' The nurse came to the door, 'is everything alright?'

I looked at her, then back at Pepper, Tony's jacket lay folded beside her.

I lowered the phone and dropped into the chair beside the bed.

'Sir?' She rushed over to me.

'I'm ok.' I managed.

She nodded and stood up, 'are you sure?'

I nodded, no I wasn't ok. But she couldn't know, no one could know.

I looked over at Pepper; she was peaceful, safe, just like Tony wanted. Only she would never smile again, I couldn't do this, I couldn't tell her. I stood up and walked out of the room.

'Watch the room.' I instructed to one of the guards.

I rushed outside, I felt my throat constricting, the crisp air was a welcome relief.

A small group of reporters was waiting outside, I immediately changed my mind, I couldn't be seen like this. I quickly turned around and rushed back inside. I made my way back to Pepper's room. At least we had privacy, perks of being friends with Tony Stark. My chest tightened, I ran through scenarios in my head, how do I tell Pepper? How do I tell her that he'll never come home? How do I tell her that she will never see him again?

A knock on the door brought my attention back.

Rhodey walked in quietly, he sat beside me. His face looked as bad as mine; I don't think I stopped crying since he called me. We sat silently looking at the floor.

'I can't do it, I can't tell her.' I muttered.

'I'll do it, I was there, I should do it.' Rhodey bowed his head.

'How did it happen?' I barely managed the words.

I heard Rhodey's heavy breathing; I knew how difficult it was. We went through this years ago when Tony went missing in Afghanistan, but we still had hope, this time was different, this time he was here and he was gone.

'You should have seen him Hap; I've never seen such rage.' He explained looking down at his feet, 'when he found her, when he saw what happened something inside him flipped.'

We looked at Pepper. He pale skin was marred by the large bruise which covered the side of her face.

'I tried to stop him from going back, he shut everything down, I couldn't even control the suit.'

I nodded, 'he would have gone whether you were there or not.' I explained.

'He knew they had weapons which would take him down, he knew and he still did it.' Rhodey shook his head.

'You know how he is.' I caught myself, 'was.'

'His reactor is still working, I don't understand.' Rhodey muttered.

'It's still working?' I looked over at him.

'Natasha said his brain is dead, I didn't ask anymore, I couldn't.' Rhodey shook his head.

I couldn't imagine being there, seeing my friend die in front of me. 'What do we do?' I asked solemnly.

'We tell Pepper, we try to make it as easy as we can, she'll be in charge of the company now, so she'll need help.' Rhodey said quietly.

I shook my head. There was no way this was happening.

'I can't, I can't tell her, in the car, she was crying, she was saying they were going to kill him, I told her that he was ok, Rhodey I lied to her.' I closed my eyes.

'I know.' Rhodey said simply.

We sat in silence for hours, nurses came and they went, they checked Pepper's vitals and occasionally stopped to talk with us. Neither of us could offer more than a weak smile, or a few words to get them to leave.

'I need some air; I think the reporters should be gone.' I stood up and stretched my back, 'will you be ok?' I knew Pepper would wake soon, I didn't know if I could face her.

'I'll be fine, take your time.' He replied.

I nodded, I hated to leave him, but truth be told, I couldn't stay in there anymore. I couldn't watch Pepper sleep, knowing that when she woke her world would collapse around her.

I must have dosed off, I didn't realise I was sleeping until Pepper's voice woke me.

'Rhodey?' She whispered from across the room.

Everything came rushing back. I immediately felt sick, I rubbed my face.

'Hey.' She smiled.

I felt the lump in the back of my throat again. I swallowed hard. I walked over to her.

'How are you feeling?' I was cautious to keep my voice from wavering.

She touched her face and flinched, 'I've been better, but hey, alive.' She smiled.

I leaned against her bed and looked down at the jacket which lay folded beside her. I bowed my head, I avoided eye contact.

'Rhodey?' She said quietly, her hand found mine.

I looked at her.

She raised herself on her elbows, 'Rhodey what's wrong?' Her face hardened.

The change in her voice reflected exactly what I felt. Other than Tony, she was the most perceptive person I'd ever known. She knew as soon as I opened my mouth. Her eyes began watering.

'Rhodey, please.' She whispered, 'what's wrong Rhodey?'

I couldn't believe how quickly I fell apart; I broke down before any words could escape my lips.

'No, no, please no.' She whispered, she shook her head, 'no, no, no.'

'I'm so sorry.' Was all I could manage between the tears, I pulled her against me.

'No, I don't believe it; please tell me it's not true Rhodey, please.' She cried, I felt her whole body shake against mine as I held her.

She gasped for breaths and the heart rate monitors sped up, 'no, god no.' She yelled over and over.

Her doctor and two nurses rushed in, the pulled me away from her.

She fought against them, 'no, leave me alone, get out.' She screamed at the nurse who tried to inject her with a sedative.

I stepped in, 'it's fine, leave us, please.' I tried to keep a firm voice.

The doctor called the nurses away, 'she doesn't need this kind of stress right now.' He said sternly helping her back down.

'Agreed, I'll take care of her.' I said quietly.

He checked her vitals before reluctantly leaving us.

She sat in the bed with her head in her hands, she sobbed uncontrollably. She was completely inconsolable. I sat beside her and pulled her into my arms.

'He wanted me to keep you safe; I promise I will do everything I can to do that.' I rubbed her back.

'I want to see him.' She pulled back and whispered.

I nodded, there was nothing which would stop her from getting what she wanted.

'I'll call Happy.'

'Does he know?'

I nodded, 'he called me earlier, when you were sleeping.' I sighed.

'It doesn't feel real, Rhodey.' She said in a whisper.

It didn't feel real to me either; it was so sudden, so quick. We'd been through hundreds if not thousands of missions which seemed so much more dangerous. I shook my head. This isn't healthy, it wasn't good for me or her to think this way.

'Don't do that to yourself Pep.'

'I'm not in denial, I'm just.' She closed her eyes, 'I don't _feel_ that he's gone, I can still feel him, _alive_.'

I helped her out of the bed, 'you need closure.'

We both did.

Happy met us outside, with the power Pepper possessed as being Tony's PA and now, CEO again, we could get whatever she wanted done, she signed herself out, all while keeping a professional façade perfectly positioned on her face.

I considered paying off the staff for their silence. Peppers breakdown before and the lack of Tony by her side, the press would get wind of it and it would only snowball from there.

But that wasn't a priority right now; getting Pepper to Tony and letting her say goodbye was all that mattered.

We drove in silence, S.H.I.E.L.D agents were waiting to fly us there.

Happy and I helped Pepper into the helicopter, she wrapped Tony's coat around herself, she didn't say a word and she didn't cry. Happy and I sat beside her, each of us remembering the man who left our lives.

* * *

I couldn't find the words to say to him, I couldn't find anything to say which would be worthy of this moment. His eyes were closed; a small scratch lay across his cheek.

I ran my finger over it, his skin was still warm and the arc was still glowing. I clutched his jacket as my tears fell silently onto the sheet which covered his body.

'This doesn't feel right Tony, I still feel you with me.' I whispered, I cupped his cheek, 'you promised me a dance, I'm holding you to it.'

I sat down beside him, 'I know you're in there, they told me that your brain isn't alive anymore, I can't believe that, I just won't.'

I took hold of his hand, 'whatever this is, I believe you can come back.' I whispered.

I traced my finger around the reactor; his Black Sabbath t-shirt was soaked through with blood and ash, 'why'd you have to go back in Tony?'

I knew why, I was selfish to think differently. The reporter asked me what I thought of the fact that he would die for me before the rest of the world. He was a superhero, he would do what's right, and he did just that. He went back to stop them. He went back to prevent anyone coming after him for the Extremis, I sighed.

'Why does this feel wrong Tony?' I squeezed his hands in mine, 'it doesn't feel like you're gone.'

He looked so peaceful. I laughed to myself, how cliché. I always heard people say that, but this was different, he looked peaceful and he looked alive. I couldn't shake the feeling; there was something so unnerving in the way he looked.

'I'm sorry.' Steve's voice broke through the silence.

I didn't turn away from Tony, I just nodded.

'He saved a lot of people today.' He said.

'He looks like he's just sleeping.' I whispered. A weak smile crossed my lips.

'I know this is hard.' He said.

I shook my head, 'it's not, because this is a mistake.'

'Pepper.' He began.

I turned to look at him, 'he's not dead, I just _know_ he's not.'

Steve frowned, he looked back at me.

'I'm not going through some form of denial, or shock, I know Tony, and I know he's not dead, this isn't,' I cleared my throat, 'this isn't that.' I felt my composure shatter, I fell apart and I couldn't stop the tears.

He rushed over to me and wrapped his arms around me, I pushed him away, 'stop, just stop, I'm so sick of being touched.' I sobbed into my hands, 'I feel like I'm being suffocated.'

He held up his hands in defence, 'I'm sorry, you're right, can I get you anything.'

I shook my head, 'no, I want to be alone with him.'

'Of course, I'll let the others know not to bother you.' He squeezed my shoulder.

I waited until I heard the door close and I let myself cry freely.

'You said you wouldn't leave me.' I cried into his chest, 'you lied to me.' I screamed at his face, I hit his chest over and over again, 'you lied to me Tony!'

I collapsed against his body, 'you lied.' I repeated over and over, I couldn't stop crying, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think.

Rhodey ran through the doors, 'Pepper, it's ok, come on.' He pulled me away from Tony.

'No, no, no, this isn't real.' I cried.

'It's alright, come on.' He wrapped his arms around me. He held me in his arms, we dropped to the ground, I cried and cried but my eyes remained on Tony, his serene face and the glowing reactor.

And amongst all the chaos, the lights above us flickered ever so slightly…

* * *

**Hope I have restored some faith in those who were getting a little sad :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Ahhh! Thank you all for having faith in me! I promised I wouldn't let you down, and this is just the beginning for bringing our hero home!**

* * *

I froze; I looked up at the lights and then back at Tony. His face was still, nothing had changed.

I pulled away from Rhodey and made my way back to Tony's side.

'I didn't imagine that, I didn't, do it again.' I leaned in and whispered to Tony.

'Pepper.' Rhodey touched my shoulder, 'what are you doing?'

I turned to face him, 'didn't you see that?'

'See what?'

'The lights flickered, you can't have missed it.' I teetered on the edge of insanity.

'I saw it, we're on a ship, it's probably weather interference.' He said quietly.

I saw the look on his face, he didn't believe that, I shook my head, 'no, it's Tony, I know it is.'

Rhodey sighed, he looked down at his feet, 'Pepper.'

I held up my hand, 'don't, I'm not crazy.' I whispered.

'I don't think you're crazy, I think you're trying to hold on, and there's nothing wrong with that, but Pep, it's not good, you're not allowing yourself to grieve.'

I could see it was difficult for him to say, so I didn't argue, there was nothing I could say that would make him believe me. I know what I saw, and I know there's no way I'm giving up on him.

I felt depleted, 'take me home.' I said quietly.

He nodded, 'we'll come back later, they're keeping him here for tests.'

'What kind of tests?' I looked up at him.

'They want to make sure the Extremis is no longer present, I don't know, they flew Bruce out, he's requested to do the tests himself.' He explained.

Bruce, oh god, I forgot about him, 'how is he?'

We walked through the hallways.

Rhodey shook his head sadly, 'not good, Tony was his closest friend.'

I nodded, 'I know, he was staying with us, Tony thought it wasn't safe for him to be here.'

'Tony always thought of himself as the Invincible Iron Man.' Rhodey said quietly.

'Not invincible, just expendable.' I corrected.

Rhodey looked at me sideways, 'what do you mean?'

'He always felt he was sent on missions and extractions because he was an expendable part of the team, someone no one would miss.' I said sadly.

'What an idiot.' Rhodey said simply, 'he didn't think we'd miss him?'

'I think he thought we stuck around because we were obliged to.' I offered.

Rhodey shook his head, 'he had everything but common sense.'

I smiled weakly, 'yeah.'

We met Happy outside on the deck, he was alone. He sat against the wall smoking a cigarette, he nodded to acknowledge us.

'How are you doing?' Happy asked me.

I shrugged my shoulders, he nodded in acknowledgement.

'Let's go home.' He said quietly.

He arranged for a pilot to take us back to shore, we drove home silently. I had no words. I couldn't bring myself to speak anymore. I needed to change and needed to shower.

Once we pulled up to the drive way, Jarvis allowed us in, I took a deep breath before I stepped over the threshold into the house.

Just like a punch to the gut I couldn't breathe. I blinked away the tears which formed instantly. I never realised how much the whole house smelt like him, his cologne, the cars, everything was a sickly reminder of him.

Rhodey's arm found its way around my waist; he guided me through the house.

'Guest bedroom.' I muttered, I couldn't face the room upstairs, _our _room.

'You get changed, we'll be here.' Rhodey said with a weak smile.

I nodded. I closed the door, I made my way into the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy; I don't remember ever crying this much in my life collectively.

For the first time in twenty-four hours I took Tony's jacket off. I felt like I was leaving a piece of him behind, I hung it on the handle by the shower, it was still close. I let the tattered dress fall from my body. I examined the bruises. I touched my thigh delicately, I ran my finger over the cuts around my wrists. They were all physical wounds and they would all heal and my mind would eventually forget what happened. I pulled my hair forward, the blonde was covered in red, I felt sick looking at myself, I noticed that I was silently crying again.

I stepped into the shower; the hot water ran over my skin, I felt nothing. The hot tears blended in with the water, I was so completely numb. The water ran red, blood and dirt washed away from me. I scrubbed my skin and my hair over and over. The water finally ran clear and I felt I could face the world again. Perhaps the world inside this house, I wasn't ready for anybody else.

I picked a pair of track pants from the shelf, I remember when I started working for Tony, I insisted the guest room be stocked with something for his 'guests' to wear when I had their clothes dry-cleaned and pressed. The last thing I wanted was to see a scantily clad one nighter walking around in his shirts whilst I felt sorry for myself and hoped that one day I would be as attractive to him as any one of those girls. I always cursed myself after those thoughts. '_You're too good for him Pepper.'_ How wrong I was, he was the best person I'd ever known, and now he was gone. I don't think I ever told him that. I told him I loved him, sure, but I never told him how proud I was.

The heat in the bathroom was suddenly overwhelming, I clutched at the shirt which I wore. It felt so constrictive. I pulled the collar away from me as much as I could without ripping it. I was crying again. I rolled my eyes. I was sick of crying already and it had only been a day.

'Stop it Pepper.' I said aloud to my reflection. I straightened out my clothes. The water dripped from my hair and saturated the shirt, I tried to dry it off as best I could with a towel, my mediocre attempt was enough. I nodded to myself.

Once I had finally gained the ability to breathe again, I made my way downstairs. Happy and Rhodey sat in silence.

Happy stood up and walked over to me, he pulled me into an embrace, 'we'll be ok.' He whispered.

I nodded against him, 'in time.' I choked out.

I pulled away from him, 'I think we should go downstairs, I think we should bring him something from the workshop, something he loved.'

Rhodey stood up too, 'good idea.' He said quietly.

Rhodey and Happy followed me as we descended down the dark stairwell and into his workshop. I braced myself before keying in my passcode.

I prepared myself for the blare of his music, none came.

I looked back at Rhodey, he shrugged.

Instead we were met by Jarvis.

'Welcome Miss Potts, Colonel Rhodes, Mr Hogan.'

'Thank you Jarvis.' We said in unison.

'Now that you're all here, there is something which I have been instructed to show you.' He announced.

'Show us what?' I asked curiously as I walked around the shop looking for something which would be suitable to bring to Tony.

'If you would all be seated I will begin.' He said.

We looked at each other, I motioned to the couch.

I gasped as Tony's face appeared on the projection screen.

Rhodey and Happy both looked down and sighed.

Tony's smile remained frozen on the screen, my heart was screaming.

Jarvis finally let the video play.

'_Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, the most important people in my life, I felt I needed to make this, I needed to leave something…something to explain what I had to do…a few weeks ago I noticed that the symptoms from the Extremis were getting pretty bad. When I say bad I mean terrible, as in, I'm losing my mind slowly, but literally-' _

He smiled, the cheeky grin which made me laugh no matter how serious the situation was, he always managed to make me smile.

'_-I needed to do this before I have no idea what I'm doing, and the rate at which it's happening, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens in a matter of weeks, I needed to tell you that there are people who are still after this technology, and there are people who are able to take it from me, of course they would need me not breathing to do that, so I've implemented a self-destruct sequence of sorts, if I ever got into a situation where I could be taken. I've written a code into my brain which will erase everything, including me, effectively. So I'm assuming that if you're watching this, I've either completely lost it, if I have, make sure Dummy is feeding me properly, or I've had to activate the self-destruct code. Either way, I'm sorry, it's not fair, I know it isn't, but I needed to do this, for you Pepper, to make sure the wrong people don't get a hold of Extremis.-'_

The Tony in the video looked down at his hands, the sadness in his eyes, his own prediction haunted him.

'_-I love you so much Pep, so much that I can't even think straight, and you know that's a huge deal for me, I just hope I'm doing the right thing, I hope that you'll forgive me one day. Rhodey, Happy, make sure she's safe, I know she'll argue and tell you she's fine, she's not, she has this little crinkle above her nose when she's stressed-'_

I laughed through the tears.

'_-make sure you all look after each other, thank you, as well, for being my friends, I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but you made my life worthwhile, every day, so thank you-'_

He smiled once more, and stood up. He walked away from the camera, I looked down at my hands, my whole body was shaking, I cried openly.

'_-One more thing, sorry, I know, so anti-climactic right? But this part is kind of important, well probably the most important part. The self-destruct code is reversible, so don't ditch my body just yet, you'll need it. Jarvis will show you how to bring me back. See you soon.'_

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**Hope this was a little lighter :) And for those 'Extremis and Invincible Iron Man" Enthusiasts, I apologise if it's not completely accurate, I have been reading and re reading the comics for the upcoming chapters. So there will be better references to it, I hope! **

**Thanks for reading :) Drop me a line if you've any hits/tips/ideas, other than that, hope you're still enjoying!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Thank you guys so much for the amazing reviews; I was SO happy to see that I made you guys cry, laugh and smile!**

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I sat staring at the screen. Neither Rhodey nor Happy spoke. Tony's grinning face looked back at me. His eyes saw right through me. I shook my head, the shock of the revelation resonated throughout me.

I snapped myself out of it, 'Jarvis, how do we bring him back?' My heart skipped out of its normal rhythm. I just _knew _that it didn't feel right. I even started doubting myself. I was glad I believed my gut, and my heart.

Jarvis brought up a different projection, this one consisted of formulas and graphs, none of which made any sense to me. I looked over at Rhodey and Happy, they looked at the plans. Rhodey shook his head.

'Did he neglect to think who might be able to _do_ this?' he pointed to the screens, 'I mean let's face it, who else do we know who can read this aside from him?' A relieved grin spread across his face too.

'Bruce.' I stood up, 'Bruce, of course, that's why he sent him away, he needed to make sure that he was safe, to make sure someone would be around who would be able to read this and implement it.'

My face broke into a smile, 'oh my god, Tony, you're a genius.'

He had this plan set in motion months ago, and the facilities to make this happen were here, in Malibu, that's why he brought us here. I couldn't stop smiling.

Rhodey stood up swiftly and made his way over to the multiple screens on Tony's desk.

'He never said anything about this.' he rummaged through the files on the desk.

I shook my head, 'of course not, he needed the shock to be real, for whoever was watching to believe he was gone, so they would stop coming after us.' I took out my phone and called Bruce, 'pick up Bruce, come on.' I muttered aloud.

I tapped my foot nervously, I hung up and dropped the phone on the desk, 'I'm getting dressed and we're going back to the helicarrier, Jarvis call Bruce until you get through to him.' I ran up the stairs two at a time.

'Miss Potts, Mr Banner is on the line.' Jarvis announced.

I ran into our bedroom, I grabbed the jeans which lay across the bed; I stumbled over my own feet as I tried to pull my jeans over my legs, 'Bruce, what tests have you run so far?' I asked breathlessly.

'Pepper?' His quiet demeanour reflected the sadness I was feeling only minutes ago, 'none, so far, to be honest, Pepper, I haven't even seen him, I just can't.' He finally answered.

'Good, don't do anything, I'm on my way.' I panted.

'Ok?' He said cautiously, 'Pepper, what's going on?'

'I'll explain when I get there, just wait for me.' I disconnected the call.

I pulled on the first pair of shoes I found, stilettos, of course they were. I grabbed my purse and pulled my hair into a pony tail. I couldn't care less what I looked like right now, I just needed to see Tony.

'Jarvis, print off the files we need for the reversal, tell Rhodey and Happy to meet me in the car, we're going back, now.' I ran down the stairs.

I picked up the files and anything else I thought was relevant from the workshop, I looked around quickly. Dummy and Butterfingers chirped away in the corner, 'don't worry boys, daddy's coming back soon.' I smiled.

I stepped outside into the cool night; Rhodey and Happy were waiting for me by the car.

'I called Fury; I told him we're on our way, helicopter is on standby.' Rhodey opened the door for me.

I nodded, 'good.'

Happy sped down to the meeting spot; we boarded the helicopter and flew in silence.

I was eager to land, eager to see Tony and tell Bruce what was going on. I could barely contain myself, my heart wanted to leap out of my chest. I crossed my hands in my lap and squeezed them together. I felt my feet tapping at the ground impatiently.

Rhodey put his hand on my knees, he smiled at me, 'you ok?'

I nodded wordlessly. I was terrified, and I was ecstatic. I knew Tony never failed at anything he did. But a part of me reserved the grief, deep down in the back of my mind, exactly where it should be, just in case I needed it.

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Rhodey and Happy waited outside, I made my way down the winding corridors; Natasha met me and led me to Bruce. She tried to talk to me, I made a conscious effort to be polite, I couldn't speak my mind I couldn't tell her what was going through my mind. I needed to speak to Bruce, I needed to _know_ he could do this. I needed to hear the words. I nodded to thank her. I took a deep breath, Bruce would be a wreck, I needed to pace myself. I needed to let him get it out of his system too. I finally opened the door and made my way into the workshop.

Bruce sat in the corner of the lab he shared with Tony months ago; he tinkered with some potion like substances. He looked up and offered me a weak smile. I noticed the redness in his eyes, anyone who saw the people around me today would notice the familiar feature.

He quietly walked over to me, 'God, I'm so sorry Pepper.' He said solemnly, he pulled me into an embrace.

I forced myself to stay calm, there still wasn't a guarantee he could even do what Tony had proposed. I returned the embrace, 'you won't be if this works.' I said as I pulled away.

He looked down at the files I held out, 'what is this?'

'Read it.' I whispered.

I looked at his face as he read over the documents, his face changed from sadness; to shock then he even smiled.

'This can't be right?' he looked up at me.

I smiled back at him, 'I hope it is, he wrote it, the antigen you made with him was to buy him time right?' I asked, 'so you can bring him back, time for his mind to be saved.'

'Yeah I guess, I just thought he meant to finalise the company and his will.' He said awkwardly.

'So did I, Tony and his double meanings, saying everything and nothing at all, it's what he does best.' I laughed.

Bruce's face broke into a smile too, 'he never ceases to amaze me.' he laughed.

'So you can do it?' I asked eagerly.

He put his glasses on and looked back over the file, 'it's way out of my skill set, Tony's brain is up here compared to mine.' He held one hand above his head and the other around his waist, 'but he's explained it in terms I should be able to work with, so yes, I believe I can do it.'

A wave of relief washed over me. I couldn't remember ever being so happy; this was the single happiest moment in my life.

'What do you need?' I had my phone at the ready to make the requests. I was eager, enough time was wasted, I needed him back.

'We need to take him home, everything I need is already at his workshop, he made sure of that.' Bruce explained.

I nodded, 'good, I'll advise Director Fury.' I went outside and met Rhodey and Happy, 'can you please inform Director Fury of this, we need to take Tony home, Bruce needs him in the workshop.'

Rhodey nodded, 'I'll make the call, you and Dr Banner can meet us there?' He asked.

'Perfect, see you soon.' I nodded, 'let's go Bruce.' I smiled.

'Wow, I can't even believe this.' Bruce muttered as we walked to the waiting helicopter.

'I couldn't believe he was gone, _this_, I can believe.' I said confidently, 'I couldn't believe he would leave like that, there's no way.'

Bruce nodded, 'you're right, he's far too fond of himself for that.' He laughed.

The mood was lightened, today was going to be a good day.

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**So the next chapter will be the REVIVAL! :D also, guest, you made me laugh: "Reversible self destruct?" Totally possible in the world of Marvel and Iron Man LOL!**

**Looking forward to hearing from you :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**I just wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews :) I hope this chapter is as welcomed, as usual its cliffy, it's my style, what can I say lol, also, the end bit, "one more day" it's inspired by a brilliant fic I read on this site, called One More Day. I hope it sits well in this chapter, and I hope it's not too frustrating for you all :)**

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We stood in Tony's workshop, Happy sat by himself; he looked like he was deep in prayer. I knew he wasn't religious, so he must have been simply hoping, hoping like I was, hoping like Rhodey was, that whatever we were about to do would work.

Tony lay on a makeshift gurney in the middle, Bruce stood beside him. He was finalising the equations he keyed in to the multiple screens which surrounded them.

I turned to Rhodey, his eyes remained fixed on Tony's still body, 'come on.' I saw him muttering to himself over and over. I looked back at Bruce.

'Ok Tony,' Bruce stepped back and looked over the calculations and dosages again, 'here we go.'

I took a deep breath, I felt my nails digging into my skin through clenched fists, I closed my eyes. Rhodey wrapped his arms around me, 'it's ok.' He whispered in my ear.

'Wait.' Happy said firmly.

I pulled away from Rhodey and looked to Happy.

Bruce stepped back again, 'what's wrong?'

'I just,' he stepped toward Tony, 'I just wanted to say something, to him, before you do this.' He lowered his head.

'Of course,' Bruce stepped back.

I looked at Happy, he stood silently beside Tony. He hung his head and laid one hand on the bed.

'I don't know if you can hear me, but if this doesn't work, and you die, I'll never get to tell you, so I just needed to say what's on my mind.' He began, 'you have always been a friend to me, _my_ best friend, and I watched you become Iron Man, I watched you risk your life every day for the world.' He rubbed his face, 'I watched you make Pepper the happiest she's ever been, so I'm not going to watch you die and leave us behind, fight through this boss, you have to.' He squeezed Tony's arm, 'when you come back, we're having a serious conversation about all this self-sacrificial business.' He nodded to us and walked back to where he was sitting.

I looked down at my feet; Happy never spoke about what happened, he never told anyone how he felt. My heart broke seeing this. I could tell Rhodey thought the same, he nodded wordlessly to him. They exchanged a weak smile.

'Do it.' I whispered to Bruce.

He nodded, he took the syringe he prepared and stood beside Tony again. He swabbed his arm, 'ok buddy, don't let this be the one mistake you made.' Bruce said nervously.

I stood silently watching Tony, Rhodey took my hand in his, I squeezed it anxiously.

Bruce inserted the needle in Tony's arm and squeezed the plunger, I watched the liquid enter his body; I looked straight to the EEG monitors. The flat lines which indicated his brain activity remained frozen, nothing changed. I held my breath.

Before I could speak, the heart rate monitor came to life and began to show the drastic decrease in his heart rate, it began to beep. I gasped, time seemed to slow down. Panic took over, I felt my eyes begin to water, I blinked through the haze.

Rhodey hung his head; I felt his hand squeeze mine.

'No.' I tried to run to him, Rhodey wrapped his arm around me and stopped me.

'No, don't do this.' Bruce muttered, 'you said this would work, now work.' He yelled at Tony's still form.

I fought against Rhodey's hold, 'no!' I screamed through the tears.

Bruce was monitoring the screens; he quickly injected Tony with another two syringes. One was shot straight to the heart, I figured that was adrenaline and the other was a liquid I didn't recognise. He looked at the monitors, he dropped the syringes and began to perform CPR, his already low heart rate began to decrease even more. The heart rate monitor beeped louder and faster.

Happy slammed his hand against the wall and he rushed out of the room.

'Come on!' Bruce continued the compressions on Tony's chest, my own heart felt constricted; I felt like I was losing him all over again, although I never really got him back to begin with.

'Don't do this.' He yelled, he slammed his fist against Tony's chest, 'wake up.' He yelled over and over. The heart rate monitor beeped its warnings, louder and louder. It rang through my ears and reverberated through my body.

I felt my knees weaken and my legs gave way, I collapsed against Rhodey.

'It's ok,' He whispered, he rubbed my back; I felt his body shake against mine too.

'I'm so sorry.' Bruce looked to us.

The heart rate monitor conveyed my worst fears, whatever we tried had killed him, he was really gone, his mind was gone and now his body too. Bruce switched off the monitor, the beeping ceased and the silence was deafening.

I pushed Rhodey away, I found my legs and walked over to Tony, each slow step was agonising.

'Leave us.' I said as firmly as I could.

Rhodey and Bruce left quietly. I dragged a stool over beside the gurney.

I sat beside him and took hold of his hand, 'remember how you said Tony Stark never makes mistakes?' I said quietly, 'well Tony, this was your second mistake.'

I dropped my head in my hand. 'Remember how I ran into your office almost twelve years ago and I said there was a mistake in your numbers?' I looked at his face, 'you hired me because I was the only one who ever stood up to you.'

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, 'I was the only one who stood up to you and I'm doing it again; every day I stood behind you and made sure you didn't destroy the company or destroy the city, I always made sure the work was done, I made sure Stark Industries was running the way you wanted it to,' I hung my head, 'I did all this because you needed me to, now I need something from _you_ Tony, I need you to come back, I need you to come home and make _me_ happy, and do the things I need done, I'm not letting you give up, you're not allowed, you're needed here, I need you to wake up now.' I cried freely into my hand. 'I _need_ _you_.' I said simply.

I closed my eyes and kissed his hand, I lay my face against it, 'Tony, I don't know if I can do this without you.' I sighed.

My eyes burned, I felt like I was drowning in my own tears. My whole body shook, I couldn't contain the pain. I wrapped my arm tightly around my stomach, I sobbed against his body, 'just don't be dead.' I cried.

I lay there for at least an hour, no one came in, no one interrupted, I cried silently, holding on to the last warmth I would ever feel from him, I looked at the clock on the wall, it had been more than thirty hours since this all began. My whole world was turned upside down in such a short amount of time. It was just after six; I couldn't tell whether it was morning or night, I pulled my face away from his hand. I refused to let him go, I couldn't.

I laced my fingers with his; I closed my eyes and leaned my elbow on the bed and my head in my hand. I sat with the calming whir or machinery around me, his creations, his world, the familiar scents of his cologne mixed with the oils from the cars he loved so much. My own heart beat echoed though my head, I couldn't believe I would never be down here with him again, watching him pout when I told him that he needed to go to a meeting, or seeing him smile when I walked down the stairs, or hear him call me Miss Potts in that teasing tone I secretly loved. I felt my hand weaken, the energy which my body ran off for the last twenty hours was depleted, I lay my head on his chest and wrapped my arm around his waist.

'I love you so much Tony, I think I always have, you know, I think I was just scared to tell you, remember when we were on the balcony and we almost kissed?' I smiled through the tears which continuously flowed, 'I was so nervous, I think I was sweating like crazy, and I forgot to wear deodorant, remember that?'

I cleared my throat, 'oh Tony, all the small things I wish I had told you, I wish we had one more day, I would turn off my phone and I would put off my meetings.' I put my lips to his hand again, 'Just one more day Tony and I would stay in bed all morning with you when you asked me to, I would drive with the roof down, I would fly to Italy with you and have dinner and swim in the sea.' I sighed, 'just one more day.' I whispered.

I lay in silence, I felt his warmth, and surprisingly his temperature was the same. I didn't know how fast the body temperature was meant to drop when someone passed away, but I was pretty sure it was meant to be significantly different by now. I raised my head and looked at his face, he looked so serene and his cheeks were still pink, I sat up completely, I squeezed his hand, the machine beside me sprang to life, I looked over at the EEG monitor, the flat lines spiked, just as they did I felt his hand gently squeeze mine back.

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**OOOOOHHHH...cliffy, yay :) **

**This one was a lot more inner monologue, but I felt it was necessary to convey the feelings. Also, since Tony wasn't awake here, there wouldn't have been much conversation happening.**

**As always, let me know what you think :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**And here we are! Your reviews for the last chapter were so good, haha, dead person twitch! I wouldn't do that to you! lol, glad it was received as well as it was :)**

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'Just one more day Tony and I would stay in bed all morning with you when you asked me to, I would drive with the roof down, I would fly to Italy with you and have dinner and swim in the sea.'

'Just one more day.'

Pepper? What is that? I tried to open my eyes, I couldn't see through the dark, I felt warmth spread through my body, then the fire, the flames, no, Pepper, where am I? I squeezed my hand, what is that, someone's holding my hand? Beeping? Where am I?' I squeezed back, it felt right, it felt like home.

'Tony?'

Pepper? Where are you? It's too dark in here, I can't see anything.

'Oh my god, Tony.'

A breath on my neck, I tried to turn my head toward it, I couldn't.

'Follow my voice.'

The dark is so overpowering, I can't see, I can't move, where are you?

'Come on Tony, follow my voice.'

Where are you? I'm trying…

'I know the dark is holding you back, but you have to fight through it, you can do it.'

I, I can't fight through it, the pull is too strong, help me.

'Tony, focus on my voice, fight through it, come on, _please.'_

I'm trying Pep, I'm trying so hard, I can't break through, I can hear you, I can feel you, but I can't push through it.

'Fight Tony, fight!'

Don't cry Pep, don't cry for me, I'm trying.

'Please Tony, fight for me.'

There's a light, wait, I'm coming Pep, I'm going toward the light, your voice is clearer there, hold on.

'Tony, I love you.'

I love you too Pepper, so so much, I'm coming to you.

'Please don't give up, not now,' I felt her hand on my face, I felt my own tears breaking through.

Don't cry Pepper, the light is nearer now, I'm coming, I can feel you, I can feel your hand I can feel the heat, the light, where are we?

'Come on Tony, you're nearly here, come on, fight harder, fight!'

The dark is suffocating me, it's trying to pull me back, the darkness is pulling me back, No! I won't let it, Pepper it's trying to pull me back, No! Pepper, I won't let it keep me, it's so cold here, hold my hand, don't let me go, you're the only one who can guide me out of this darkness.

'Focus on my voice Tony, come on, I'm guiding you, follow my voice.'

There, there you are, I'm coming, stay there, keep talking.

'Come on, fight for me.'

The blinding light was nearing; I was nearly there, a few more steps, a few more agonising steps, so close, so close Pepper.

'Tony!'

My eyes shot open, my chest felt like it was on fire, my bones ached, and my head was splitting. The light was so blinding, I threw my hands over my face.

'Tony, oh my god.'

I looked up through the light, Pepper, beautiful Pepper.

'Pep.' I managed.

She wrapped her arms around me and I cupped her cheek.

I felt her body shake against me.

'Pepper.' I breathed, it hurt to speak, my throat felt constricted. I swallowed hard; my head was splitting from the pain.

'Don't try to speak, it's ok.' She whispered against my ear, she ran her fingers through my hair, 'it's ok.'

I felt myself nod.

'Your mind has been through a lot; you said you might find it difficult when you woke up.' She explained.

The Extremis, the reversal, everything came flooding back to me.

'Do you want to try and sit up?' She asked quietly.

'Yes.' I croaked.

She linked her arm under my elbow, she eased me up, the world was spinning around me, everything was a blur, colors and shadows and the lights all blended into one.

I covered my eyes with my arm, 'too bright.' I whispered. The lights dimmed before me.

'You've still got Extremis?' She asked.

I nodded, 'temporary shutdown.' I muttered.

'Ok, that's good, you're back, and that's all that matters.' She sat down beside me.

I leaned into her and wrapped one arm over her shoulder to steady myself; she took my other hand in hers.

'Italy…next week?' I whispered.

She looked at me; her blue eyes warmed my heart, everything seemed so normal again.

'You heard me?' she asked with a smile.

I nodded, 'I followed your voice.'

She pulled me into an embrace, I wrapped my arms around her, I was still getting myself back, but holding her was so natural, I knotted my fingers through her hair. Her perfume was intoxicating, feeling her breath on me, the darkness was slowly leaving me, I was slowly finding my way back.

'Pepper what's going on?' the doors to the workshop opened, 'we saw the lights in the house go out…' the voice stopped midway. 'Tony?'

I looked over, Rhodey, Happy and Bruce.

I felt myself smile.

'Crazy son of a bitch.' Happy said with a grin.

'Thank you.' I nodded to Bruce.

He nodded back.

Rhodey came toward me; he pulled me into a hug, 'don't ever do that again.' He breathed.

'I'll try not to.' I said back.

'How are you feeling?' Happy asked quietly.

'Tired, really really tired.' I muttered.

'That's perfect, because both of you need to get some rest, now.' Rhodey instructed, 'come on.'

Happy threw my arm over his shoulder, 'come on boss, I'll help you.' He said quietly.

I nodded, when my feet hit the ground, I barely had enough strength to hold myself up, Happy took the majority of my weight, Pepper, Rhodey and Bruce walked behind us.

'I thought we lost you.' Happy said solemnly.

'You did.' I said through the pain. Everything was difficult.

'Don't do that again.' He said firmly.

'I'll try.' I managed

'Seriously.' He reiterated.

'Got it.' I nodded.

'Pepper was a wreck, I've never seen her like that.' He explained, 'we all were.'

'I'm sorry.' I said sincerely.

'Don't be sorry, just make sure you don't die again, ok?' he said with a bit of a smile.

'I'll try my best, Hap.'

We walked to my bedroom, bed, sweet bed. I couldn't remember the last time I slept, whenever I did I was plagued by nightmares, or Extremis and the last night I tried to sleep I nearly lost Pepper.

Happy eased me onto the bed, 'get some rest, you deserve it, both of you.' He nodded to Pepper.

'I'll make sure he sleeps.' She whispered before closing the door.

I lay down, Pepper climbed under the covers beside me.

I found what strength I had to turn my head to face her, she lay her hand on my chest. I lay my hand on top of hers.

'I couldn't imagine that I would never be able to do this.' She whispered.

I squeezed her hand, 'I know.'

'I love you so much Tony.' She snuggled up closer to me. Her face was inches from mine.

'I love you.' I whispered back.

She closed her eyes, the bruise on her face broke my heart, I ran my fingers across it as gently as I could.

I kissed her cheek, 'was I too late?'

She didn't open her eyes, 'no.' she said quietly.

'But you would tell me?' I felt my heart constrict, I lied to protect her numerous times, 'I only hoped she wasn't lying now.

She opened her eyes, 'you're the only one I would tell.'

'I'm so sorry.' I pulled her closer to me.

'You don't have anything to be sorry for.' She said quietly.

'I do, he could have,' I couldn't bring myself to say it aloud, the thought alone boiled my blood, 'he could have hurt you and I wasn't there.'

'You _were_ there, and you saved me.' She pulled back and looked at me.

'I could have been too late.' I held her closer to me. 'He could have taken you from me.'

'Even if that _did _happen, just being with you would make it go away.' She ran her hands over my arms.

'Don't say that, I can't even think straight knowing that he touched you, it makes me sick.' I wrapped my arms around her, having her in my arms made me feel better, but the anger at myself for letting her get hurt in the first place was still there.

'Tony, don't do this to yourself, please, I'm ok as long as you're with me.' She pulled back and looked me in the eyes.

I ran my fingers over her bruise again; she took my hand in hers.

'I'm fine.' She smiled.

I kissed her fingers, 'if anything happened to you I don't know what I'd do.'

She laughed quietly, 'now you know how I feel every time you put the suit on.'

I looked at her, I was such an idiot, I did this to her every day, and now the Extremis, I put her through hell every day.

She cupped my cheek in her hand, 'I know how important the work you do is, I know how much it means to you, and I'm so proud of you.' She smiled.

As horrible as the darkness within me was, her smile always melted it away.

'Really?' I asked with a grin.

'Really Mr Stark.' She smiled.

I pulled her closer to me again, 'god I've missed you.' I closed my eyes and breathed her in.

She ran her fingers across my back, 'get some sleep; I think we both need it.'

I nodded against her, I leaned my chin on the top of her head. Sleep was something which evaded me, tonight I would let myself go, I would let sleep take me, Pepper's slow breathing beside me was comforting. I smiled to myself. Peaceful sleep finally came.

* * *

**So here you go my lovelies, hope you enjoyed this :)**

**I'm on to the next one already! Now we can get back to some smartarse Tony and some well deserved happiness and Pepperony! **

**As for one reviewer, in relation to what's happening in the first chapter, well it is all coming in good time :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**There was some mixed ideas in my mind as to how this chapter should go, I know there are a few things which need to be adressed in realtion to Chapter One, and some small details along the way. Rest assured they will be adressed.**

**I don't like lose ends, that's how things just fall apart! So we will have a good few chapters ahead of us to resolve these little things, hope you're still enjoying!**

* * *

I woke up some hours later, the room was still dark, I couldn't make out whether it was morning yet. Everything was a complete blend of time and events which I couldn't work out.

Pepper was still asleep; I got out of the bed as quietly as I could.

'Jarvis, what time is it?' My connection to Jarvis was better than before. I barely had to think the thought before the answer came to me.

'Eight fifteen in the morning sir.'

I made my way to the bathroom, a shower was much needed, there was still blood and ash mixed in through my hair, I shook my head at my own reflection, 'you look like death.' I muttered to myself.

'Sir, Colonel Rhodes, Dr Banner and Mr Hogan are still here, they've been here all night.' Jarvis announced as I dressed.

I nodded, 'good, I'm heading down now, can we get a status check on my vitals?'

'The arc reactor is running at one hundred per cent, the Extremis is running in tandem with your own brain waves and your heart rate is one twenty over eighty.'

'Thank you Jarvis don't wake Pepper ok.' I made my way downstairs.

'Very well sir.'

I took the stairs two at a time; they sat in the workshop talking amongst themselves, as soon as I walked in they stopped and looked up at me.

Bruce walked over to me, he handed me a syringe filled with blue liquid, 'the final dosage to control the Extremis.'

I took it from him, 'thank you, so you stayed here all night?' I injected myself, the same burning sensation as the first injection spread through my body. I let the syringe drop to the ground.

'Tony, you ok?' Rhodey rushed over to me.

'Yeah, I'm fine; remind me to make something less invasive next time.' I said through gritted teeth. I rubbed the injection site, 'really brutal.' I muttered.

'How are you feeling?' Happy asked motioning to the sofa.

We all sat down, 'better,' I pinched the bridge of my nose, 'killer headache, but everything is as it should be.'

'This was really impressive, completely crazy, but impressive.' Bruce nodded to the folders with my _reversal_ notes in it.

'Had to be done, I couldn't risk anyone getting a hold of the Extremis.' I explained.

'I Know, it was terrifying Tony, seeing you like that in the fire.' Rhodey cleared his throat, 'I thought you died, and then they told me that your body was alive but you were brain dead, that was even worse.'

I looked down at my hands, I nodded, 'I know, and I'm sorry.'

Happy squeezed my shoulder, 'we're just glad you're back, boss.'

I looked to Rhodey, he smiled weakly, 'just don't leave us like that again.' He said quietly.

'I'm doing my best.' I nodded, 'is Pepper going to be ok?' I looked to Happy.

'Her doctor said she'll be fine, just a few bruises and lacerations, she was lucky, you got to her in time.'

I shook my head; I dropped my gaze to the ground below me, 'lucky.' I muttered, 'she was taken because of me.'

'Maybe Tony, but if it were anyone else, she would be in the morgue, she's alive because of _you.'_ Rhodey explained.

I knew that what he was saying was true; I just couldn't come to accept it.

'He's right.'

I looked up, Pepper came through the doors, 'if I was relying on anyone else it could have been so much worse, you need to stop blaming yourself.'

She walked over to me, my breath caught in my chest, she was more and more beautiful as the days went on.

'See, listen to what the woman says.' Happy said with a smile.

I held my hand out, I took Pepper's hand in mine, 'you're amazing.' I said with a smile.

'So are you.' She smiled, she sat in my lap, 'so Mr Stark, what are you planning on doing about this?' She turned on the TV on one of the screens before us.

_Reports confirm that the warehouse which was engulfed by flames two nights ago belonged to the three men responsible for a foiled terrorist attack on the United States of America. _

_It is confirmed that Tony Stark's CEO and PA Miss Virginia Potts was held for ransom. During the rescue operation Stark was critically injured. He is currently being held in a private hospital in an induced coma, it is reported that he may be permanently incapacitated. _

_Friends of the billionaire have asked for privacy during this emotional time._

I looked around at Bruce, Rhodey, Happy and back at Pepper.

'Well, at least we can always rely on the press.' I said with a grin.

'That's exactly what we needed.' Rhodey said.

I nodded, 'as long as I'm out of the picture, you're all safe.'

'We need to find the last guy, he'll be looking for you, he'll still want to try to extract anything he can.' Bruce said quietly.

'I'm counting on it, bait.' I explained.

Pepper shook her head, 'no, Tony, not a chance, you're not going to openly put yourself out there as bait.'

'I have to Pep, I need to finish this.' I looked at her face; I could see the worry in her eyes.

'Why do _you_ have to Tony?' She asked quietly.

'Because this is what I have to do, I took the Extremis, not anyone else.' I tried to justify myself.

She shook her head, 'no Tony, I can't, I can't sit idly by and watch you do this, you're going to die, and I'm never going to get you back.'

'Hey, hey, hey, I'm not going to die, Pep, it's ok.' I tried to calm her.

She stood up and out of my grasp, she ran her hands through her hair, 'I can't lose you Tony.'

I walked over to her and pulled her into me, 'you're not, I won't leave you.'

She tried to push me away.

'Stop Pep.' I tried calm her.

She pushed against my chest.

I caught her hands, 'stop, Pepper please, I need you to believe in me, I can't do this if you're not behind me.'

'No, I can't.' She pulled her hands out of mine, 'I'll be upstairs.'

I saw her eyes begin to water, she briskly turned away from me, she walked through the doors without saying another word.

I stood where she left me, I looked to Bruce and Rhodey.

I turned to Happy, 'don't let her go anywhere, Hap.' I went after Pepper.

'Pepper?' I yelled as I ran through the house, 'please, I need you with me on this.'

'Go away Tony.' She yelled from the bedroom.

I stood in the doorway, I watched her pack her things, I watched the woman I love doing everything she could to run away from me.

'Pepper.' I said quietly.

'Don't bother, I'm not staying, do what you need to do.' She yelled through tears.

'I'm asking you to stay.' I said quietly.

'You're asking me to watch you kill yourself.' She stopped packing and turned to me. She cried openly.

I didn't make a move, I stood by the door and let her cry it out. I knew she needed it, I knew how long she held it together. Every year by my side was a chore, every time I put on the armour was agony, every time I left a mess for her to clean up was torture.

'I know how hard loving me is, I know it's hard Pepper, but I'm asking you to stay.'

She looked at me; she wrapped her arms around herself.

'I need you.' I said quietly.

She looked down at her feet, 'I'm sorry.' She cried.

I knew it, I expected it, maybe not now, not yet, but I knew in time she would leave, it wasn't fair of me to expect her to stay; I put her life in danger every day just by being me.

I nodded, I tucked one hand into my pocket, 'you do deserve better, you always have.' I ran y hand through my hair, I offered a weak smile. I turned away from her; I couldn't let her see me fall apart. I couldn't watch her change her mind because she felt guilty. I walked away.

'Tony.' She called after me.

I didn't turn back, I didn't slow down.

'Tony I'm so sorry.' She called after me.

I'm sorry too. I heard he coming after me, I walked faster and faster. There's nothing I wanted more than to let her run into my arms, to hold her and kiss her. Instead I walked away from her, away from her voice and the only thing in this world which made my life worth living.

I rushed into the workshop; I made my way to the Audi.

'What's going on, Tony, wait.' Rhodey asked firmly.

I rushed past him, I slid into the driver's seat, I turned the car on and slammed my foot on the accelerator.

My mind ran a million miles an hour, all I could see was Pepper's face, her tears, the sadness in her eyes. I weaved through the traffic, my own eyes watered, I blinked through it. I drove faster and faster. 'Jarvis, send emails out to the press, I'm holding a conference, now.'

'Is that such a good idea sir?' Jarvis challenged.

'I'm out of good ideas Jarvis, that was Pepper's forte.' I retorted.

'Sir, incoming call from Miss Potts.' Jarvis announced.

'Reject.' I muttered as I pulled into the driveway of Stark International.

I glanced down at my watch, more than an hour had passed since I heard Pepper give up of everything I had relied on her for. I couldn't believe how quickly everything had escalated and how quickly I had lost everything. Now there was nothing left to do, but to finish what I had started. _I_ took the Extremis, _I_ put myself and everyone else around me at risk. This was all on me, this was my fight. I didn't blame Pepper, I couldn't blame her, I couldn't be angry because I knew that eventually I would push her away, and as miserable I would be, I was happy that at least she would be safe.

I stepped outside as one of my bodyguards opened the door, he nodded toward the other bodyguard by the walkway, the media was quick on the response to the email, something I could always rely on.

'Sir!'

'Sir!'

'Mr Stark!'

Dozens of reporters stood by the entrance to the building.

I gathered myself, 'It's good to be back.' I held my hands out and grinned at the reporters. The sunglasses I donned covered the fact that I was completely falling apart.

I made my way to the stage escorted by my bodyguards.

The chatter quietened down as soon as I folded my hands across the podium, 'as you can see ladies and gentlemen, I am alive and well, and better than ever.' I put forward as much eccentric billionaire as I could. Enough to keep them off my back and keep them satisfied.

'I would also like to say that Miss Potts is still recovering from the incident and I would appreciate it if you would allow her some time to recover in peace.' I took my sunglasses off, 'and this is a private message to those men who attempted to destroy my world, you haven't succeeded, you never will, and if you try, the full force of the law will be against you, as well as Iron Man.' I smirked.

Chatter erupted from the reporters before me, one woman stood out from the rest, Christine Everhart.

'Mr Stark, who are these people who threatened you?' She said with that same calculating grin which she bore the last time I saw her.

'They worked for Futurepharm and were developers of the Extremis virus.' I explained with an amused smirk.

'And why do these people want you?' she feigned ignorance.

'Ms Everhart, I believe these questions were already addressed in earlier interviews with my staff, but for the sake of argument, they believe I have the ability to reproduce this serum, which I do not.' I lied.

'And Miss Potts was taken because?' She cocked her head and smirked at me.

'Because she is the closest individual to me, she would have access to everything I have access to, it makes sense.' I treaded carefully; there couldn't be any further ties to me.

'And that is the _only _reason she was targeted?'

I looked at her with an annoyed smile, 'yes, she is my personal assistant, thank you everyone, please forward any further questions you may have to Miss Potts' inbox, we will attend to them when she feels well enough to do so.'

I nodded to the reporters; Christine's smug look was wiped off her face.

Whatever went on in my life, whatever was going on behind the scenes, I was first and foremost Tony Stark, I lived for the media, I lived in the public eye. There wasn't a single person who could shake that foundation, I was born to play the press and I did it better than anyone, especially now when it mattered most. I planted the seed; whoever was looking for me now, had me.

* * *

**Christine Everhart is my favourite little reporter lady! I think she's got such sass, so I had to write her in, even if it was a few lines hehe, hope this wasn't too sad for anyone, I just think it was more realistic to have something like this, I mean if we're going by the movies, how many times has Pepper tried to quit!? **

**So annoying, I know, but I thouht this would tie in well and make it more true to the characters!**

**Looking forward to hearing your reviews :D**


	27. Chapter 27

**There we go, a little turbulence is necessary for us to appreciate the wonderful times ahead :D**

* * *

I ran down into the workshop.

'What's going on, what happened?' Rhodey rushed over to me.

'Where is he?' I cried.

'He left, where is he going, what happened?' Rhodey asked again.

I collapsed into the couch, I couldn't breathe, 'where did he go?'

Rhodey sat beside me, Happy and Bruce stood in front of me.

'I don't know, he didn't say anything, Pepper what happened?' Rhodey looked at me.

I shook my head, I don't know, what did happen, did I just tell Tony that I didn't want to be there for him? I cried hysterically.

Rhodey pulled me closer to him, 'calm down Pepper, you need to tell me what happened.'

Happy brought a glass of water, Rhodey handed it to me.

'What happened?' He spoke quietly.

'I told him I was leaving.' I said finally.

'Leaving?' He asked firmly, 'as in leaving _him_?'

I nodded.

Rhodey cleared his throat.

'What have I done?' I cried, 'I love him so much, what have I done?'

'Why did you say it?' Happy asked.

'I couldn't watch him risk his life like this.' I dropped my head in my hands, 'I told him I was leaving, oh my god.'

Rhodey took my hand in his, 'it'll be ok, I'm sure he knows you were just worried, talk to him.'

'I tried calling him, he didn't answer, ' I looked over at the screens, 'what is that?'

_Tony Stark himself has called today's press conference, the turnout is already seeing dozens of reporters hoping to catch a glimpse of the Phoenix himself._

'What is he doing?' Happy sat down beside is.

Bruce looked as awkward as ever, he looked over at the screen.

The camera panned out and showed Tony arriving in the Audi, my heart sunk, he was taking bait to a whole new level.

He walked up to the stage escorted by his bodyguards; he smiled at the press before him but I could see the frown beyond the façade he was putting up. The sunglasses hid the fact that his eyes were red, I saw them before he left. I covered my mouth with my hand. What have I done?

'_As you can see ladies and gentlemen, I am alive and well, and better than ever. '_ _I would also like to say that Miss Potts is still recovering from the incident and I would appreciate it if you would allow her some time to recover in peace.' _He took the sunglasses off_, 'and this is a private message to those men who attempted to destroy my world, you haven't succeeded, you never will, and if you try, the full force of the law will be against you, as well as Iron Man._

I watched the conference, I felt worse as each word came out of his mouth. Then the ever present reporter, Everhart chimed in.

Pushing him, forcing him to relive what I had just done to him, but true to his ever perfect poised composure, he dealt and deflected anything she threw at him.

_And Miss Potts was taken because?' _She cocked her head and smirked at him.

'_Because she is the closest individual to me, she would have access to everything I have access to, it makes sense.' _He looked uneasy to anyone who knew him as well as I did, but to everyone else, he was confident, cool and in control.

_And that is the _only_ reason she was targeted?' _

The camera focussed on Tony's face, he returned an annoyed smile, '_yes, she is my personal assistant, thank you everyone, please forward any further questions you may have to Miss Potts' inbox, we will attend to them when she feels well enough to do so.'_

The interview finished, I swallowed hard, he just painted a target on his head.

Before the camera drew away from him completely, I saw a glimpse of a familiar woman making her way to Tony's side. Natasha Romanov. My heart dropped, she knew he was in danger, all of S.H.I.E.L.D did, they sent an assassin as a personal body guard to watch him.

Rhodey cleared his throat, 'he just gave you an out.' Rhodey said quietly.

I looked to him, 'what?'

'No more ties to Tony Stark, if you don't want them.' He replied.

I looked around at the three men before me, 'no, that's not what I want, I need to see him.'

'I'll try and get through to him.' Happy nodded.

Rhodey stood up, he took out his phone as it started to ring, 'Sir, no, we didn't know Mr Stark was going live, I understand, I'll make sure to let him know.'

He replaced his phone, he sighed, 'Tony needs to speak to the defence minister, he wants a run down on the events following the rescue op.'

I nodded, silent tears continued to plague me, 'he did this because of me.'

'He's known to make rash decisions without any reason, Pep.' Rhodey said quietly.

'No, not anymore, he talks about everything with me; this is because I let him down.' I stood up.

'I need to get him back, I need to tell him I didn't mean it, I can't believe I did this to him.'

'You were stressed out Pepper, it's completely understandable.' Rhodey tried to comfort me.

I shook my head, 'I shouldn't have said what I did, he needs me now, more than ever.'

'I'm sure he understands Pepper, give him time.' Rhodey said firmly.

I conceded. I looked down at my hands, I was a terrible person. I felt like I betrayed him.

Rhodey's phone rang again, he sat beside me, 'Agent Romanov, no I was not aware he was planning a conference.' He spoke quietly, 'is he alright?' I heard him ask. He nodded, 'keep me posted.'

'They're going back to S.H.I.E.L.D, Fury wants him close, he's got a neon target on his chest right now.' Rhodey explained.

Happy came back, he handed me the phone, 'Tony.'

My breath hitched, I took the phone from him, I walked out of the workshop, I made my way up the stairs, racking my brain for what I could say.

'Tony?' I said finally, I took a seat on the bed beside the half packed luggage. The scattered mess made me queasy.

'Pepper.' His voice was completely depleted.

'Tony, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it.' I whispered.

'I know, but I meant what I said.' He said quietly.

'What did you mean?'

He sighed, 'that you deserve better, you were right to say what you did, it wasn't fair of me, to put that much on you.'

'Tony no, no I was wrong, I was scared and exhausted, there is no excuse to validate what I said, please come home.' I pleaded. I was so completely exhausted from crying.

I heard his voice waiver on the other end, 'I can't do that Pep, not now, not until this is finished, you're never going to be safe from me until this is done.'

'I don't care about that, I just want you home, please Tony, I'm sorry.' I couldn't express the pain I was feeling, I only hoped he could forgive me.

'I can't Pep, I love you, I'll see you soon ok.' He sighed.

'Tony, please forgive me.' I managed.

'Always.' He said quietly.

'They said you're going with S.H.I.E.L.D?' I asked.

'Yeah, they want me close by, Fury thinks there's a serious risk of me being hunted down, I need to stay away from you until this gets resolved.'

I nodded to myself, 'I am behind you on this, always.' I hoped it wasn't too late.

'Thank you.' He said quietly, 'I have to go, I love you.'

'I love you Tony, please come home.' I said.

He disconnected the call.

I threw the phone across the room, if anyone told me that I would destroy my relationship with Tony Stark, I would have laughed. Firstly I would never date a womanising playboy, and second, _he_ would ruin it by cheating or doing something incredibly stupid. I screamed at myself. _I_ ruined the most perfect thing I could have ever hoped for. He is the most caring and genuine man I have ever known, he changed himself and the world for me, and I ruined it. I told him I was leaving, because I was scared? Pathetic. Idiot, Pepper, you're an idiot. I was scared this would never get fixed; I was scared that he was gone forever.

I curled up on the bed, I pulled my knees to my chest, his scent still lingered in the pillows, I closed my eyes, 'please come home to me Tony.' I whispered, I hoped that whoever looked after heroes whether they be gods, angels or other heroes, was listening. I hoped someone would be there to protect him the way he protected the world.

* * *

**I love that I can explore Pepper's feelings of guilt for a change, it gets to me that Tony is always portrayed as being the bad guy who makes all the stupid mistakes. **

**So for once I wanted to make Pepper seem more human, able to make mistakes. So this is something I've always wanted to explore, and the reason I do, is to make it all the sweeter when they're happy and better :D**

**Hope everyone is ok with this, and GUEST, thanks for your awesome reviews :D YAY**


	28. Chapter 28

**Oooh...this chapter was a little exciting at the end, you'll see why :D heheheh YAY**

* * *

I sat on the deck of the helicarrier, the wind and rush of the ocean below me was liberating. I inhaled the fresh open air. So much was going on, I had forgotten how to stop and breathe.

'You ok?' Romanov sat beside me.

I looked at her cross legged position, 'didn't pick you for someone who enjoyed this.' I nodded to the ground.

'A lot you don't know about me Stark.' She smiled.

'I see that,' I nodded, 'yeah, I'm ok, thanks for coming, to the conference.' I said looking back to the open sky.

'No problems, thought it would be a good idea to get the focus off Pepper.' She explained.

I felt my stomach drop at the sound of her name.

'How did you get word I was holding a conference?' I knew the answer; I just needed a distraction, anything to avoid talking about Pepper.

'Any communication relating to press conferences sent out by Jarvis shows up on our radar, fail safe to keep you in check.' She said coolly.

'I suppose it's a good thing?' I looked at her sideways.

She nodded, 'it is, best way to protect you without being overbearing.'

I looked back to the sky before us, 'still feels surreal.' I muttered.

'How _do_ you feel, it was quite a shock to your system to be jolted back like that.' She asked.

'Is that a hint of concern I detect?' I grinned.

'Of course, do you have any idea what kind of paper work was waiting for me?' she said with a straight face.

'Right, forgot that Fury does that whole paper thing.' I nodded.

'But it is good to have you back.' She said seriously, 'I have to attend to the fallout from this little event of yours, some things S.H.I.E.L.D want to keep secret, need to see what we can do.'

'Did you even get a hold of the paperwork I sent you?' I said without looking at her.

'The program Jarvis was working on, to reverse engineer the serum?'

I nodded.

'Yes, it's safe.' She answered.

'Good, keep it safe, if they come for me, destroy it.' I instructed.

'Of course.'

'Make sure they keep an eye on the house, keep them safe.' I looked to her.

She nodded, 'Bruce has been tasked to watch them.'

'Thank you.'

* * *

I woke up, I looked around the room, it was dark, I didn't mean to fall asleep, how did I fall asleep so quickly. I sat up briskly, I looked around for my phone, I spotted it on the floor, I walked over to it, the screen displayed the flashing missed calls.

Seven missed calls from Tony, all from yesterday when I fell asleep. I quickly hit redial, a sick feeling overcame me, maybe he thought I was deliberately rejecting his calls.

The phone dialled and dialled. 'Come on Tony, pick up.' I muttered.

'Pep?'

'Tony!' I said a little too loudly.

'What's wrong, are you ok?' His husky voice came through the phone.

'Yes, I'm fine, I'm so sorry I missed your calls.' I blurted out.

He exhaled, 'good, you scared me.'

'Why?'

'It's close to four in the morning,' he breathed, 'I thought something happened.'

'Four?' How did I sleep away almost a full day?

'Are you sure you're ok Pepper?' his voice made me smile.

'I just want you home.' I whispered.

'I'm coming, stay there.' He said firmly.

'No, Tony, don't, you're safe there.' I managed.

'Doesn't matter, I'll be fine, I'm coming to see you, stay inside.'

'Tony.' I said quietly.

'I'm coming Pep.' He said finally then disconnected the call.

I dropped the phone beside me, I smiled to myself.

'Jarvis, is Rhodey still here?' I made my way out of the room and down the hall.

'Yes Miss Potts, he's sleeping in the guest room.' Jarvis announced.

I made my way downstairs quietly, 'please tell me when Tony gets here.'

'Very well Miss Potts.'

I walked through the living room, I kept the lights off, the comforting dark was a welcome relief. I walked outside onto the balcony and sat by the window looking out over the night sky. The ocean below roared with ferocity. The wind swept my hair up. I sat in one of the sun chairs; I wrapped a blanket around myself.

The stars above glimmered against the dark blue backdrop; I leaned against the back rest and sat on my legs. My heart pounded in my chest as the rush of the ocean below bellowed throuh the night.

A distant flicker of light in the distance captured my attention. The familiar sound of jet thrusters coming closer was elating. I watched as he neared.

'Mr Stark is arriving.' Jarvis announced.

I got to my feet, eagerly waiting for him. He landed on the balcony a few feet away from me, I watched as the suit disassembled itself, first the body armour and finally his face.

He smiled gently, he slowly stepped toward me. I hesitated slightly; I wasn't sure whether I should kiss him or run into him. Instead I stepped closer and narrowed the gap between us.

He smiled down at me, 'you ok?' he whispered.

I nodded, 'I am now.'

'You're not safe as long as I'm around Pep.' He stepped closer again, I felt my heart quicken, he brushed my cheek with the back of his fingers.

I closed my eyes against his touch, 'I don't care, I want you _here_, I want _you_ to protect me, not anyone else.' I whispered.

He cupped my cheek in his hand, 'I'm here.' He said confidently.

'Forever.' I said quietly.

He leaned his forehead against mine; he nodded, 'forever.'

'I'm sorry for what I said yesterday.' I whispered.

'Don't be, you had every right to feel like that.' He kissed my forehead.

I looked up into his eyes. The cold of the night disappeared.

I shook my head, 'there's no excuse you needed me, and I turned you away.'

He wrapped his arms around me, he leaned his chin on my shoulder, 'you deserve much better than what I can offer you, but I hope that what I can offer you is enough?'

I pulled back and looked at him, 'what you offer me is more than I could ever hope for.'

'You're too good to me Miss Potts.' he said teasingly.

I grinned like a giddy schoolgirl and pulled him closer to me, 'I'm so glad this is better.'

'Me too.' He kissed my cheek, and trailed kisses down the nape of my neck.

I held my breath, 'I've missed you so much.'

He nodded against my neck, 'me too.'

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, 'let's go upstairs.' I breathed against his ear.

'Yes, upstairs, now.' He breathed.

He picked me up, I wrapped my legs around his waist, I kissed his neck as we struggled to make our way through the house and upstairs.

He pushed the door to the room open, and stammered inside, he lay me down on the bed and lay on top of me, he propped himself up on his elbow, he ran his fingers along my skin.

I felt every hair on my body, every fibre in me was screaming. I knotted my fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, he buried his face against my neck. He trailed kisses along my shoulder; I closed my eyes against his every breath on my skin.

His lips found mine, every touch, every breath, every kiss was perfection.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to him completely, in every sense, I was his; emotionally, physically for now and forever.

* * *

**YAY Pepperony! AHHHHHH soooooo excited, I wish I could write a little more detailed scenes here, but I don't think it's appropriate lol! Such a shame, maybe I'll do a LouBlue and make a seperate story spinoff specifically for that aspect ;) hehehe, we'll just see how we go I think!**


	29. Chapter 29

**This is for those lovelies who are hanging out for some pure Pepperony! It's pretty sweet, you were warned!**

* * *

I woke up with a start, I looked around the room, I was conscious of the sweat which drenched my body.

I closed my eyes in relief when I saw Pepper sleeping peacefully beside me. Her milky white skin was illuminated by the glow of my reactor; I traced her arm with my finger.

She slowly turned to face me, 'what's wrong?' She asked drowsily.

I shook my head, 'just a bad dream.'

She pulled me down beside her, 'do you want to tell me?'

'It's nothing,' I smiled at her, I raised her chin with my hand and pulled her into a kiss, 'I need to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D.' I whispered.

'No, don't go, stay here.' She curled up against me.

I closed my eyes, it was harder every time she asked me not to go, 'I don't want to go, but I have to.'

'Since when do you answer to anyone Tony?' She looked at me with a smile.

I leaned on my elbow and kissed her forehead, 'since my usual ways nearly got you killed.' I explained as I trailed kisses along her jaw.

'You're unbelievable.' She laughed softly, she pulled me down to lay beside her, I put my arm under her and she laid her head on my chest.

I looked down at her face with mock hurt, 'that's quite hurtful Miss Potts.'

'I don't want you to leave.' She looked away.

'I need to fix this, Pep, I need to finish it so that no one else gets hurt.' I pulled her closer.

'Fix it and then come home, don't you dare leave me.' She whispered.

'I could never leave you.' I whispered back.

I lay peacefully, holding her in my arms; I knew there were so many challenges facing us. I knew there were so many things which would be thrown at me, things which would challenge me in every aspect. But these things were all worth it if I came home to her.

'Tony.'

I nodded, 'Pep?'

'Is everything better with the Extremis?' She asked quietly.

I sighed, 'it is for now, but I don't know if this was a permanent solution.'

She nodded, 'what do you think will happen if your symptoms come back?'

I didn't want to put her through it, nor myself. But I needed to be honest, there were no more excuses to lie to her, I had put in danger by lying, I had put her in danger by telling her the truth and she was resilient, she was strong. I knew she could cope; I didn't give her enough credit before.

'Honestly, I think it'll hit me harder than before, and if that happens, I don't know that I have any more ideas.'

'I'm scared.' She breathed.

'Don't be.' I kissed her cheek.

'How can I not be?' She whispered.

'Because I'm here with you _now_ that's all that matters.'

She raised her head to look at me, she furrowed her brow; 'I don't like the sound of that.'

'What about this,' I pulled her closer to me so that my mouth was right next to her ear, 'I want to marry you, so that you know we have each other _forever_.'

She gasped and pulled back, 'Tony, what are you-'

I put my finger to her lips to stop her talking, I reached over to the bedside table and retrieved a small blue velvet box, I held it up above her head and I flicked it open with one hand.

She looked at it in awe, then back at me.

'I think this is the longest I've heard Pepper Potts speechless, and I'm hoping in a good way?' I said hopefully.

She sat up; I moved to sit beside her, 'you're making me nervous, say something.'

Did I just make a mistake, did I make a complete fool of myself. I still held the box in my hand as she sat staring at it speechlessly.

She took the ring out slowly and looked back at me.

I saw the smile spread across her face.

'Tony.' She held the ring in her hand, 'don't do this because you don't think you're going to make it.'

I shook my head, 'I actually bought this a while ago, I couldn't find the right time and I didn't think you would say yes, and I was terrified, and I didn't know whether it was inappropriate and then everything happened-'

Pepper cupped my cheek in her hand, 'stop, Tony, you're rambling.' She grinned, 'I don't think I've ever seen Tony Stark struggling to make sense of words.' She laughed.

I exhaled the breath which was hitched within my body, 'I'm sorry.' I looked down at my hands.

'Don't be sorry.' She took my hand in hers and placed the ring in my hand, I looked up at her, what did _this_ mean? Why was she giving me the ring? I swallowed hard.

She smiled gently, 'yes, Tony.' She held her left hand out.

I felt my senses rush back to me, 'yes?' I grinned.

'Yes.' She smiled.

I nodded, I fumbled with the ring, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking, I took her hand in mine and I pushed the ring on gently. Her eyes remained focused on mine.

'Breathe Tony.' I heard her say.

I mindlessly nodded; I continued to grip her hand in mine.

Finally I moved closer to her and knotted my fingers through her hair and pulled her into a kiss. She reciprocated and deepened the kiss.

She ran her fingers through my hair, 'I love you so much.'

'I love you too Pep.' I finally managed.

'You did well Mr Stark.' She laughed softly.

I cocked my head and smiled, 'really?'

She nodded, 'yes, that was perfect.'

'I had it all planned out, it was going to be on the beach, after I gave you the necklace, it was meant to be really romantic.' I explained.

She shook her head, 'this was more than perfect Tony, it was natural and honest.'

'I'm just glad you're still here, you didn't run away.' I said with a grin.

I collapsed against the back of the bed, all the energy and nerves had worn me out completely, I leaned against the wall and I pulled her against me.

'Yes, and you're still here, I am actually still quite shocked to be honest, you never even mentioned the M word.' She sat between my legs and leaned against my chest. I ran my hands up and down her arm.

She held her hand up and marvelled at the ring, the gold band held a breathtaking red diamond surrounded by twelve white diamonds.

'Well _this_ is definitely typical Stark.' She looked up at me and grinned.

I took her hand and ran my finger over the diamond, 'only the best for you.'

'It's amazing Tony.' She smiled.

'I tried to get a hold of the Moussaieff Red Diamond, but apparently the Gemological institute of America doesn't sell their exhibits.' I shrugged, 'this is the next best thing.'

She looked up at me, 'well, next time I suppose.' She laughed.

She turned to face me, 'you can't go back to S.H.I.E.L.D now.' She said quietly.

I took her hands in mine, 'you know I have to Pep, the sooner this is over, the quicker I'll be back.'

'I know, I'm just worried.' She looked down at her hands.

'Don't be, it's just one guy, but I need to do this because it's my mess.' I lifted her chin to look at me.

'Ok, but hurry.' She grinned.

'I will, don't worry.' I planted a kiss on her lips.

I got up and made my way to the bathroom, I got showered and got ready, I pulled my jeans on and sat beside Pepper on the bed.

'I have to go,' I kissed her forehead, 'but as soon as this is done, we're free.'

She nodded, 'I know, just be safe.' She wrapped her arms around my neck.

'Always.' I kissed her neck, 'I'll be back soon, I promise.'

I pulled away from her, I kissed her cheek again.

'Jarvis, review the stats for the mark forty seven, if everything is green I'm suiting up.'

'The Mark forty seven is at one hundred per cent capacity sir, vitals are looking good too.' Jarvis replied.

'Good, inform Fury I'm on my way.' I said with a nod.

'Congratulations are in order sir.' Jarvis added.

Pepper looked at me and smiled, 'thank you Jarvis.' She smiled.

I stood by the window and called on the armour, piece by piece it began assembling itself around my body. I left the face plate open and held my arms open for Pepper.

She stepped closer to me and leaned up on her toes to kiss me.

'Please be careful.' She whispered.

I nodded, I gently took her hands in mine, I looked at the diamond on her finger once more, 'I'm coming home to you.'

With a final nod, I closed the face plate; I stepped out onto the balcony and took off into the sky.

Everything was as it should be. I couldn't be happier, Pepper's smile was etched in my mind, she was happy, and more important than that, she was happy with _me_.

I flew through the sky with a sense of exhilaration, of pride and joy for the future. Everything would work out, I just needed to finish this off and we would be safe. The challenge was upon me, and now more than ever I was determined and driven to work hard to save the future.

* * *

**Hope that was good :D After this, we get into some kick ass action!**


	30. Chapter 30

**So here we go, some people asked for Tony asskicking! Don't worry, there will be muahauhauha, emotionally and physically! So hang in there! I've also got some brutal emotional scenes planned for the upcoming chapters, I actually feel really evil writing them, but I feel, as a writer, that it's necessary sometimes, so hopefully it fits in :)**

* * *

I stood at the window watching him fly off to face his destiny; I couldn't help but let my tears fall.

So much happiness yet fear of the unknown wracked my body; I watched as the blur of his suit disappeared into the sky, I looked down at the ring which now had its rightful place on my finger. It was so much more than the symbolism of marriage; it was his promise to me. It was his promise to come home, to fight for our future and to fight for us. The symbolic colors brought fresh tears to my eyes as I remembered the first time I saw his bullet riddled armour. He asked me to trust him, and I did. Years later I'm crusading for his work and his life. I am forever by his side.

'Pepper?' Rhodey's called from outside the room, 'can I come in?'

I cleared my throat, 'yes Rhodey.'

The door creaked open slowly, 'I thought I heard Tony?' he said quietly as he walked up to me.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks; I offered him a weak smile.

He shook his head, 'don't tell me you're still fighting.' He looked at me with concern.

I shook my head this time, 'no.' I whispered and held out my left hand.

He looked down with a slight hint of confusion, 'Oh Pepper, wow.' He smiled too, he swiftly pulled me into an embrace.

'The son of a bitch didn't even tell me he was planning this.' He laughed.

I shook my head again, 'I never would have imagined this.'

'I'm so shocked, but so happy, congratulations!' He said excitedly, 'you know how long we were all waiting for you to just get together.' He grinned.

'Thank you.' I laughed.

'Does anyone else know?' He asked with a brilliant grin.

'No, he came early this morning, and left just now, I'm still getting my head around it.' I smiled.

Rhodey nodded, 'well at least you can say he's never predictable.'

'Yes, predictability is definitely not in his repertoire.' I laughed.

Rhodey hugged me again, 'I'll let you get dressed and we'll meet you downstairs?'

'Yes, thank you.' I smiled.

He left me to myself again, and once more I was plunged into an emotional tear stricken moment. I laughed to myself as I wiped away the tears of joy which fell so effortlessly.

Once I was changed and ready, I made my way downstairs, never once failing to sneak a glimpse whenever I could of the ring on my hand.

'Congratulations!' Happy yelled as soon as I walked down the stairs.

I grinned as I made my way into his open arms, 'I'm so happy for you two.'

'Me too.' I smiled.

Bruce stepped up to me with a smile, 'congratulations Pepper.'

'Thank you.' I pulled him into a hug.

'Tony's gone back?' He asked.

I nodded, 'he did.'

'Don't worry Pepper, he'll finish this and then it'll be over.' Rhodey explained.

'I know.' I tried to offer a confident smile.

Happy squeezed my shoulder, 'try not to let yourself worry, we've got his back as do the Avengers, you know that.'

Bruce nodded, 'we're all in it with him.'

'Thank you.' I smiled sincerely.

'Now, I know this isn't the best time, but there are a lot of things we need to clear up with the press.' Happy handed me the laptop, 'yesterday was a little intense for the media, and the board are stressing out about the future of Stark Industries if anything happens to Tony.'

I nodded, 'I know, it's ok, I can do it, I need a distraction while Tony's away.'

'I've been ordered to watch you and the house, so I'll be floating around.' Bruce added.

I agreed, 'ok, that's fine, both you and Happy will come with me to Stark and Rhodey, I believe Iron Man will need the War Machine?'

'Yes, I'm making some final alterations, good luck everyone.' He nodded to us.

I took the laptop, collected my handbag and retrieved my phone from the bedroom, 'I need to call a meeting with the board, you two won't be able to attend but you'll be able to stand by the doors to watch the entrances, is that alright?'

We made our way to the car, Happy nodded, 'same as always, but we're not leaving the premises, we have to consider every moment as a potential threat on your life.'

'Got it, keep the press away from the exits; I can't afford a run in with anyone today.' I explained.

We pulled into the drive way of the building; Happy opened the door for me. Bruce kept a low profile tagging along behind us, whilst Happy escorted me in the usual manner.

I headed straight to my office, 'I need to gather a few things, the board room is down the hall, if you want to check it out first, I'll be there in five minutes.'

The meeting was long and boring, I spent at least twenty minutes convincing everyone I was well enough to run the company and then I spent another fifteen minutes explaining Tony's unexpected press conference and convincing them that _he_ was well enough to be Iron Man.

Once it was over, I stayed behind and finalised the notes I took. Anna, a young hopeful PA took the notes from me and let Happy and Bruce in. They closed the double doors. Happy's face looked grim.

'What's wrong?' I stood up.

He put his fingers to his lips, 'quiet.' He mouthed.

I sat back down, Bruce rushed over to me, and Happy drew his gun and stood behind the door.

Bruce knelt beside me, 'what's going on?' I whispered.

'He's here.' Bruce whispered back.

I looked at Happy and then back at Bruce, 'Rick?' I looked around at the bare room, damn my interior decorating, not a sharp object in sight, 'how did he get in?' I hissed.

'I don't know, but we can't do anything here, that's why he came, he's asked to see you in person, he doesn't know me, so I'll be here, Happy will be ready should anything come to pass.' He explained.

I shook my head, I felt the anger rise within me, 'no, this is crazy, I'll shoot him myself.' I stood up.

Bruce gently pushed me back down into the chair, 'you can't, this isn't just about you now, all these people are in danger too, you need to protect them and the company, for Tony.' He added.

Now I understood why Tony hated rational decisions, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than to kill him with my own hands. He made me fear for my life, and he nearly cost me Tony, I was furious, there were two men standing between me and him.

I clenched my fists, 'let him in.' I said firmly.

Happy took his stance behind one of the doors, he opened the other one. He discretely replaced his gun, ready should he need it.

The man strode in with a sickly smirk on his face; he wore a perfectly fitting suit, an expensive suit. I knew this guy was not one to mess with. He had money, he had power. And most importantly he had knowledge which was the deadliest thing anyone could have against Tony.

Happy shut the doors; the man looked back at him and laughed.

'Miss Potts we meet again.' He sat in a chair a few feet away from me.

He folded his hands on the table.

'What do you want, Rick?' I hissed.

'I thought we had already been through this?' He asked, 'no?'

I remained still; I gave him a steely look.

'I guess the events of that night may have left you a little traumatised and quite forgetful?'

I looked away from him.

'Don't worry Miss Potts, I don't make the same mistakes twice, I see now, that taking you was quite an insult to Tony's intelligence, so I'm here to offer you something else.'

I glared at him, 'there's nothing you can do to get to Tony, he's not here and I won't call him.'

He smirked and looked down at his hands, 'I didn't think so, so _I_ called him instead.'

I looked up at him, 'no.' I whispered to myself.

'So he's on his way, and one way or another I'm going to get what I've set out to get.' He smirked.

'You're going to lose.' I said calmly.

Bruce standing guard beside me gave me strength. Happy by the doors gave me confidence.

I could hear Bruce struggling with the Hulk; he was shaking like a leaf beside me. From the corner of my eye I saw him fighting against the beast which was threatening to escape; his knuckles had turned a slight shade of green.

I put my hand on his, 'it's ok.' I whispered.

His arm tensed, and then I felt him relax slightly.

I sighed, as much as it would be brilliant to see the Hulk smash this guy, I couldn't risk anyone else being hurt, who knows what he had planned or set up. My mind raced through all the possibilities, bombs, snipers, poisons, the neuron stabiliser again. My heart sunk. I knew I needed more information, there was no way I could let Tony walk into something unknown.

'What are you planning?' I narrowed my eyes at him; I tried to see any tells any signs of what he was doing.

He leaned back in his chair, he smiled at me, 'I'm not going to hurt anyone else here, I just want Tony.' He crossed one leg over the other. 'This is between us.' He said in a matter-of-factly tone.

'You can't have him.' I said firmly.

A knock on the door drew my attention away from him, please don't be Tony, please don't be here. I swallowed hard, 'come in.'

Natasha walked in confidently carrying a large pile of folders, she wore a grey business suit, I recognised it as one of the ones she wore when I first met her, everything made sense, I cleared my throat, 'what is it Natalie?' I asked quietly.

She kept her façade perfectly intact seeing the man sitting before me, 'I have a few things you need to sign Miss Potts, I'm sorry it couldn't wait.' She handed me the large folder, I glanced at her and then at Rick. He seemed completely oblivious.

'Sign here, here and this one.' She flicked through the papers as I signed the documents; they were real files, from the meeting this morning. I had no idea how she managed to just take over Anna's jobs so easily without any questions. I didn't care, I was just happy to have her here.

The final page had a small scribbled note in it, "_stay calm and follow Natasha's lead."_

I looked up at her as I signed the note and handed it back to her.

'You're eleven thirty is here, and overly impatient, I suggest you make your way there now, Miss Potts.'

I nodded, 'it looks like we'll have to continue this conversation another time Rick.' I offered a smile.

Natasha smiled apologetically at the man, 'I do apologise, the meeting will be quite long, you're welcome to wait in the lobby?' She said politely as Bruce Happy and I walked out through the doors.

He stood up and faced her, 'no that's fine, Ms?'

I glanced back and saw him hold out his hand, she shook it with an ever present polite smile.

'Rushman.' She replied sweetly.

He looked over at me, 'what a beautiful pair of women.' He smiled.

I wanted to punch him; I could only imagine what Natasha was feeling. I couldn't see an inkling of anger or frustration seep through her poised exterior.

'Well it was lovely to meet you, Ms Rushman,' he looked back to me, 'and please tell Mr Stark I will make another appointment with him.' He made his way through the door beside me; he gave me a smirk before he left.

Natasha kept in character as she walked through the office with her pile of folders, 'this way Miss Potts.'

I followed her closely, Bruce and Happy followed suit.

We made our way to the end of the floor and she ushered us into an empty office.

'She's clear.' She spoke into her ear piece.

I dropped into one of the board chairs.

Happy knelt beside me, 'are you ok?'

I nodded wordlessly, 'how dare he?'

Natasha pulled out a small flash drive from her pocket and inserted it into the computer on the desk, 'it's alright Pepper, we've got you.'

'Thank you.' I walked over to the computer.

Within seconds she brought up several security screens within the building.

She pressed the ear piece, 'good on my end, Stark, run it.'

As soon as the words left her mouth, the security feeds quadrupled and every single corner and alley in and surrounding the building came up.

I watched as the screens one by one came up, I knew Tony had his tech everywhere, but this was a surprise even to me.

Bruce and Happy sat in chairs around the table.

'What are you looking for?' I looked at the ever changing locations pop up and disappear.

'We have reason to believe he may have planted something in here, something to interfere with the Extremis, if we're right, we'll find it.' She explained.

I nodded, 'and where do you think it is?'

She narrowed her gaze and pointed to the latest pop up, the touch screen registered and highlighted the area, 'there Tony, see it?'

I looked at the screen and then at her, 'what is it?' I asked curiously.

'If I'm not mistaken, it's a concentrated Nano bomb.' She said dryly.

I looked at her, 'a Nano bomb?'

She nodded, 'unfortunately yes, and if we don't disarm it, it'll destroy everything connected to this grid, including Tony.' She looked at me.

Bruce stood up and came to look at the screen, 'he'll have eyes on it, whatever we do he'll detonate before we get a chance to blink.'

Happy dropped his gaze to the floor below.

'I agree, that's why we need to be quick and efficient, we need to be smart about this.' She looked back at the screen before her.

'Tony, can you get a read on the signal that it's emitting?' She spoke quietly, she frowned at his response, 'ok, alright, I'm coming back to base, Bruce, Happy and Pepper are going to stay here, they're safe so long as you're not here.'

I felt a sickening feeling come over me again, 'why can't they leave us alone?' I muttered. Happy stood beside me and squeezed my hand.

'We have a great chance of beating this from here, this is a good thing.' Bruce tried to explain.

I didn't see how, but I believed him and I believed Natasha. They knew what they were doing and they were doing it in Tony's best interests. I nodded wordlessly.

'What do we need to do?' I asked quietly.

Natasha sat down and exhaled, 'I need you to continue everything as normal, I need you to make sure she's safe,' she pointed to Happy, 'and Bruce, I need you to work with Tony, off the grid, to try and work out what frequency this is running off and how we can get around the surveillance issue.'

We all nodded.

I sat down, I absentmindedly clasped my hand over the ring, feeling it there made me feel Tony, I squeezed my hands together.

"Congratulations.' Natasha said quietly.

I looked at her, she offered me a weak smile and looked down at my hand.

I nodded, 'thank you.' I whispered.

'We'll figure this out.' She said simply.

I bit my bottom lip, 'we have to.'

She nodded.

I knew her consolation was not to be taken lightly; she didn't express her feelings often, but seeing her softer side gave me confidence. I smiled. It _would_ be alright, and we would figure it out. I had faith and I believed in heroes. And that was all that mattered everything else would fall into place, one way or another.


	31. Chapter 31

**This chapter is quite long and I hope not too confusing! There is a lot going on, so I hope it's easy enough to follow!**

* * *

I dropped my head in my hands, I looked at my feet.

I felt Steve's hand on my shoulder, 'we'll figure this, you know we've got your back.'

'I don't know what to do.' I shook my head, 'he got to her in _my_ building.'

'You're going to do what you always do, you're going to sit down and look at all the facts, you're going to put it all together the way you put things together and you're going to solve it.' Steve said passionately.

I looked up at him, he stood with his arms crossed, Fury and Clint stood beside him while Thor sat beside me.

'You can't give up, you came back from the dead, _this_ is nothing.' Clint offered.

'This is just a computer program, you can beat this.' Fury said coolly.

'Can I?' I muttered, 'can I really?' I stood up and ran my fingers though my hair, 'all I seem to be able to do is make mistakes and screw things up.'

Thor stood up beside me, 'you're good at what you do, don't give up.'

"Thank you, all of you, I just need some space to think.' I walked away from them without looking back.

I walked and walked, I must have done seven laps of the whole helicarrier. I finally came to a stop at the lab Bruce and I claimed as our own. I sat down at one of the benches; I pulled the screen closer to me, 'Jarvis, bring up the data from the Stark building.'

Several smaller windows appeared within the screen, I looked through the data Natasha had recovered, I ran through the images over and over again.

At least two hours had passed before I felt my eyes burning.

I rubbed my face, agitation was growing and everything was irritating me. I stood up and pushed the chair away with my foot. It clanked loudly against a shelf.

'Maybe this will help.' Natasha walked in slowly.

She handed me the lock chip from the office.

'What else did you find?' I clicked it into the computer.

'Most of it is irrelevant data, but this,' she pointed to a highlighted section of the screen, 'is out of the ordinary, I think it's worth looking into.'

'What are you thinking?' I asked curiously.

'Well we know this is the Nano bomb, I think this may be a remote trigger of some sort, like a receiver?'

I nodded, I zoomed in to the image, 'it's worth a shot.'

'Anything is at this point.' She sighed, 'congratulations by the way.'

I looked at her sideways, 'thanks.' I smiled.

'Don't worry, Stark, we'll make sure you make it.' She grinned.

The light hearted chatter was a welcome change.

'Yes, that would be preferable.' I nodded.

'Now, Bruce and Pepper are in the building, so they're our best hope.' She explained.

I shook my head, 'I don't like it.'

'I know you don't, but they're our best shot at scoping the devices out.' She added.

I knew she was right, I sighed, I leaned against the bench before me.

'You know I'm right.'

I nodded, 'I know, I can't lose her.' I heard myself say.

I immediately glanced at her for a witty quip. None came. Instead she nodded.

'You won't, _I_ won't let this fail, none of us will.' She looked at me with a serious expression.

'Ok.' I said finally, 'what's the plan?'

She pulled two stools over for us, 'this part of the building is isolated, the walls are six inch fortified steel, there are no electrical devices that I am aware of which can penetrate that.' She pulled up several angles of the footage on that room.

I nodded, 'yes, it was built by my dad as a nondescript bunker, there's no surveillance in there.'

'That's why we need to get in there; we need to be inside _that_ room in order to be able to remain unseen.' She explained.

'Nothing will be able to give you readings from there, you need to work out what kind of frequency this is emitting, once we work that out we can work out how to deactivate it.' I added.

'This room here, this is where all the servers are stored?' She asked.

'Yes, it's directly _above_ the bunker.' I smiled.

'That's where we need to be.' She smiled back.

'We'll get Bruce in there, he'll be able to get through the floor chemically, any explosions will draw attention.' I pulled up the remaining floors of the building, 'we need to get a signal jammer in there, then we can do what we need to.'

Natasha looked at the plans intently.

I continued, 'Jarvis, lose the exterior, and the concrete, show us the steel foundations.' I rolled my chair out to allow more room for the three dimensional image to pop up.

'What are you looking for?' Natasha leaned in to look at the image.

'From what I can remember as a kid, there's a failsafe in here somewhere which will shut down everything electrical within the building.' I spun the image around.

'Will it shut Jarvis down?' She asked.

I nodded, 'it will.'

'Can't do that Stark, we'll lose you too.' She said with a frown.

'Don't worry about me Romanov; I'll be backed up by the Arc Reactor. That powers everything including Jarvis, so if we lose him, I'll be able to remotely reboot.' I said with a grin.

'What if it shuts you down too?' She asked curiously.

'It won't, only an EMP can do that, we're not short circuiting the connection, we're only shutting it down momentarily, so as soon as they're in, I'll reactivate the surveillance and they'll be in there undetected.' I looked at her, 'they'll only have ninety seconds to find what they need.'

She nodded, 'ok, that's our plan, I'll meet you in command room and we'll brief with the others, you ok?' She stood at the door.

I looked down at my feet, 'yeah, just want this done.'

'We'll make this work.' She nodded.

I collected myself, 'let go.'

We walked through the halls together, silence was a pleasure we both appreciated. The sun had already begun to set; the days sped past me in whir of colors.

I followed Natasha through the ship, I couldn't stop my mind wandering through the dark chambers which lay in the depths of my soul. Guilt, sorrow, fear. Pepper. I tried to push the thoughts down, far enough to keep calm, yet close enough to drive me.

* * *

I sat in my office, keeping up appearances as much as I could. Once Natasha came and got me I followed her through the maze of underground rooms.

I ran through the plan a hundred times over and over in my head. Tony will cut the surveillance, we'll have ninety seconds to search the rooms, forty seconds for me to get a reading off the transmitter and take photos, fifteen to make it back to the server room.

Her voice was distant. 'The electrician is about to enter the lower levels, once the test is running, we'll need you to approve some changes.' She explained.

I nodded wordlessly; I took a deep breath and tried to look as collected as possible. Forty seconds to get a reading of the transmitter, fifteen to get back.

'This way Miss Potts.' Natalie stopped by the doors to the server room.

Bruce stood by the door with a welcoming smile, he nodded at me.

'Ok , we need you to look over the requested changes, once you're satisfied with what he's recommended you'll have a chance to take a look around and work out what else you'd like changed.' She narrowed her eyes, ensuring I understood her.

I nodded, 'thank you Natalie.'

She left me with Bruce; we stepped into the server room. I was caught off guard by the "electrician" who knelt beside a tower of hard drives, Clint.

I smiled curtly to him, 'what have you found so far?' I asked as naturally as I could.

He placed the tool kit down beside him and held up a bunch of wires, 'well this will need to go, it's out-dated and quite, old looking.' He grimaced.

I couldn't help but wonder, did he know anything about electronics, despite the fear of the task ahead of me I fought hard not to laugh.

'Ok, so we need to replace the _old looking_ wires, when do we find out if we need new routers down here?' I asked curiously, trying to keep a straight face.

He glanced down at his watch, 'in about twenty seconds Miss Potts, just waiting for this to come back with a reading.' He looked at Bruce who took his place by the door ready to head out as soon as our window was open.

I couldn't be happier, having this team at my side gave me the confidence I needed to do this. I just imagined Tony pacing back and forth hating that he couldn't be here, he probably didn't agree to it easily. I knew Natasha had everything to do with it. She was the only one with the sharp sense of logic against which no one argued, even Clint masquerading as out electrician.

The wait was nerve wracking; we have all of five seconds for Tony to hack the system at a precise moment to give us ninety seconds to find what we needed.

'Ok, we're good, Stark, you're up.' Clint stood up briskly.

Within seconds all the lights in the building shut off momentarily before the generator kicked in and brought it back online.

'We're radio silent now, be efficient.' Clint spoke more so to Bruce than me, I nodded in agreement, so much could go wrong and being split up without being able to contact each other was difficult, but this needed to be done, I needed to do whatever I could to help.

Bruce pushed a large standing rack of servers and computers out of his way 'stand back,' I moved as he crouched down beside the shelf.

'We have eighty four seconds, make it count.' Clint said firmly.

Bruce nodded, he began pouring a liquid I didn't recognise along the edges of the wall, he then lit a match and dropped it. I didn't know what I wasn't expecting but certainly not what happened.

The flame ran swiftly along the liquid and as it went out the concrete below cracked in several spots.

He turned back to us, 'I need to break through the steel now, step back.'

As we did, I noticed his skin swiftly turn green, before my eyes he transformed into the Hulk, with one swift hit to the floor the weakened steel shattered beneath the force.

Clint pulled me up by my arm, 'you're up, seventy seconds, go.' I nodded, I rushed out of the room, I sprinted down the hall to the room which Natasha identified as being the room in which Rick had placed the receiver. Clint was assigned to the other room with the Nano bomb.

I located the transmitter; it sat within the wiring in one of the terminals. I knelt beside it and put the frequency reader to it, the lights on the transmitter flashed green. I dared not touch it.

The numbers flashed sporadically as the reading was recorded. I took the camera out and took several photos of every angle I could.

I looked down at my watch; we were all synchronized, forty seconds. I got up and sprinted back to the server room, Clint wasn't back yet, I looked down into the hole, Bruce was still down there.

'How are you going?' I asked anxiously.

'Nearly there, ten more seconds.' He breathed.

After an agonising wait his hand appeared first, he held up a small leather bound tool kit, I took it from him so that he could climb out. He pushed the server rack back into place, neatly concealing the hole.

'We're set down there, where's Barton?' He asked as he dusted himself off.

I shook my head, 'I don't know, fifteen seconds.' I looked around nervously.

'Back into position, he'll be here.' Bruce muttered, he took his place by the door.

I rushed back to the wall beside the server Clint had been kneeling beside, as the lights started to come up one by one I felt my hear constrict, before the final surveillance feeds came up Clint rushed back in and took his place beside the server. He held up the old bundle of wires, 'so these need to go, and you'll need to replace the camera wiring in the ground level.'

I nodded, 'thank you.'

Just as he finished filling out a mock job sheet, Natasha walked back in, 'Miss Potts, we had a momentary shut down of the systems but the generator took over.'

I feigned shock, 'was anything compromised?'

She shook her head, 'no, everything is fine, minor technical glitch.' She smiled sweetly.

'Alright, thank you, finalise this job and show the gentleman out.' I signed the papers Clint handed me, Natasha took them from me and continued on as my assistant.

Bruce and I walked down the halls to the elevator, we walked in silence. Once we entered my office I let a nervous breath escape.

'You did well Pepper, good job.' He smiled.

I nodded, 'I hope it helps.'

He plugged the flash drive into the computer, 'Once Tony has all the data we'll be able to remotely access the receiver and the Nano bomb.'

I held out the camera and the frequency meter, he took it from me and pulled out the memory card and inserted that into the computer too.

'Are you getting these Stark?' He spoke into his ear piece, he smiled, 'everything is going as planned.'

I sighed, I dropped into the chair, 'if anything went wrong he could have killed Tony.'

'This is us we're talking about, we don't do _wrong_.' He grinned.

I looked up at him, 'you're starting to sound like Tony, must be a genius thing.' I said dryly.

He laughed, 'I'm not on the same level as Tony, but thank you.' He sat down beside me; he flicked through several more files until Natasha and Clint joined us.

'Happy is waiting to take you to lunch.' Natasha said as she sat beside Bruce, Clint stood by the doors, 'you can go, we need to run some tests and then we're all set.' I looked at her with hesitation.

'Tony is looking over everything now, as soon as we know anything we'll call you.' She smiled sincerely.

I nodded; 'ok,' I smiled, lunch _would_ be a welcome relief. I collected some files and made my way out to meet Happy. What a day, I exhaled a breath of relief, so glad that was over. I only hoped Tony could make use of whatever we got him.


	32. Chapter 32

I sank in my chair, I couldn't believe how sick I felt the whole time Pepper was out of contact, those two minutes were the hardest I've been faced with.

'Everything set?' Fury walked in to the lab and stood behind me.

I nodded, 'our equipment is in place, at least we've got visual now.'

'Good, what's our next move?'

I brought up the feed of the server room and the two rooms in which the devices had been planted, 'I need to get in there, I'm the only one who can run the virus to shut it down.' I pointed to the server room.

'Not going to happen Stark.' Fury said coolly.

He pulled up a chair and sat beside me.

'No choice, if I don't the whole system remains compromised.' I said unflinchingly.

'If you do, your head is on his silver platter.' Fury retorted.

'I prefer gold.' I said calmly.

I looked at Fury, he looked down at his hands, 'your brain can't take another hit like that, you know that right?'

'I know, but there is no other choice.' I looked back at the screens before me.

'Have you told the others?' Fury clued in straight away, 'do they know that this was your plan all along?'

I shook my head, not turning to look at him, 'they wouldn't have done it if I had.'

'You're becoming a lot like a true leader Stark, it's a little worrying.' He said quietly.

I laughed sarcastically, 'yeah.'

'I know this is eating at you, I can see it, you need to let us help you.' Fury leaned forward to catch my attention.

I looked at him weakly, 'believe me, if I saw another way I would ask.'

He nodded, 'would you?'

'Yes,' I said turning to him, I examined his reaction, he looked dissatisfied with my answer, 'I wouldn't intentionally risk my life, especially not now.' I added finally.

He narrowed his gaze at me, 'you've taken a pretty big step in your life.' He said quietly.

I nodded, 'and I'm not prepared to skip out on that now, so yes, if I saw another way I would ask for help, and if there _is_ another way, I will find it .'

'Then we need to work out a plan which will maximise your ability to succeed.' Fury stood up.

'I have a plan but I don't think you'll like it.' I said honestly.

'Show me.' He said simply.

I brought up the external structure of my building, 'I've got several access points to the building from the underground tunnels leading up to the fortified room,' I pointed to the room Bruce planted my beacon in, I swiped the image away and brought up the schematics for the internal view and floor plan.

'If I can get in there through this access point I can activate the beacon, and remotely shut down the power to the building, it'll probably shut down the whole block, so the hospital will need to be warned and prepped with extra generators.' I swiped that screen away and brought up the feeds Natasha had uploaded.

Fury sighed, but he let me continue.

'Everything I've analysed so far indicates that the bomb he's planted is only there to affect electrical signals, so the integrity of the building itself won't be compromised.' I looked to him.

He looked at me intently, 'I'll get someone on to the hospitals, get them prepared.'

I nodded, 'I _will_ need Romanov and Banner.'

'You can debrief them when they get here, I'm assigning Rogers to watch Pepper, Thor will float around.' He explained.

'Good, Clint will be of use too, keep him on standby if possible.' I added.

'No problems.' Fury stood up and clapped my shoulder.

I nodded weakly, and remained seated; I looked over and over the files. I went over every possible angle of doing this without the possibility of killing myself. I could honestly find nothing. I pinched the bridge of my nose, 'come on Stark, think.'

'Jarvis, bring up the feeds for the building again.' The screen came to life with several windows showing the live stream of security cameras.

I watched the employees rushing about their daily lives, I watched the people running board meetings and standing around casually chatting. I leaned back in my chair, everything was so normal for everyone, I could imagine how little things would change should I die tomorrow. No one would notice, the company would continue on as always, Pepper would make sure of that. But _she_ would notice, I shuddered to think what she would do. I couldn't do that to her, as far as I was concerned, she was the only thing worth saving, but me dying would completely destroy her, so that wasn't an option.

There _had_ to be another way, and I was determined to find it, I turned back to the original building plans and formulas of the Extremis; I even looked through the Mark forty seven, my buildings schematics and Rick's involvement in the Futurepharm incident which released the Extremis in the first place. The answer lay in here somewhere and I wouldn't leave here until I found it.

* * *

Happy drove us home, we walked to the door in silence, Steve nodded to acknowledge us.

There was nothing I wanted more than to walk in the door and see Tony playing the piano, or working on his cars. I sighed as I walked into the empty, silent house. Steve walked in first, I don't know what they were expecting to happen, Rick had already made it clear he was after Tony and he was going after him, Steve was only making me more anxious. I tried to be as polite as I could when I asked him to leave me alone, he understood, at least he didn't take it to heart.

Happy stayed downstairs with Steve.

'I'll be down here if you need anything.' He said with a smile.

I nodded, I offered him a weak smile in return before making my way upstairs.

I had no energy to talk or even work on _anything_. I slumped onto the bed face first. I lay there, in silence, just enjoying the peace. I finally forced myself up, I kneeled on the bed, I looked around the room, 'Jarvis, how's Tony?' I asked quietly.

'Mr Stark is sleeping, his vital signs are steady.' Jarvis answered.

'Is he slumped over a desk?' I asked curiously.

'Yes Miss Potts, he's been there for seven hours.' He replied.

I shook my head, 'working for seven hours?'

'Yes, he fell asleep about twenty minutes ago.'

I sighed, I knew how hard this was on him, he would work until he completely wore himself out to the point of passing out, I climbed under the covers and pulled the sheet over my head. If I couldn't see the warm blue glow of the reactor, I didn't want to see anything.

'Lights off, dim the windows please Jarvis.' I said quietly.

The room was plunged into darkness and I closed my eyes. I ran over the events of the day, I smiled as I ran my fingers over the ring which felt so natural on my hand.

I couldn't believe it, every little girls dream was my reality. I laughed out loud, prince charming, my knight in shining armour. 'Oh Tony.' I whispered.

I felt hot tears threatening to escape again, I swallowed hard, all the emotion which ran through me were a constant struggle, I knew how hard he was fighting, I knew how much this was hurting him, I needed to be here and stay strong for him. So despite the stress and worry it caused me, it was my job to be there when he needed me.


	33. Chapter 33

**WOW... no one liked the last two chapters, sorry guys! If there's anything you want different or anything that you think would work better please let me know, otherwise I have no idea why people aren't enjoying it! Thanks to guest for reviewing lol, made me feel loved :)**

* * *

I stood on the deck of the helicarrier, looking out at the ocean; I stuffed my hands into my pockets to protect them from the harsh wind.

'You ready?'

I turned to see Natasha waiting by the helicopter.

I nodded; I looked back at the ocean once more before joining her. I was never one to be nostalgic, but the ferocity of the wind and the crash of the waves below was a very real reminder of how small we really are in this world. Once it's all said and done, we're just people, living on borrowed time on a planet and a world which made us look so insignificant.

I tossed those thoughts aside and climbed in beside Natasha, I glanced down at my watch, close to two in the morning. I had no concept of time anymore, everything was complete chaos.

'Ok, so we have a visual of all the surveillance feeds, and this is the feed you requested.' She handed me a tablet with a live feed of the server room.

'Is that all you need?' she yelled over the noise of the blades above us.

I nodded; I glanced down at the image.

'Banner is there, Pepper is at home with Steve and Happy.' She explained.

'Thank you, 'I looked at her sideways.

She nodded acknowledging my appreciation, I looked back down at the tablet, 'I need to get in unnoticed.' I explained.

She nodded, 'no problems.'

'ETA three minutes.' The pilot announced.

'Ok, game time.' I muttered, I stood up and held my arms out, I willed the armour to me. Within seconds the Mark forty seven began assembling itself around me. 'Impressive.' I nodded to myself as the suit was completed in record time.

The pilot opened the cargo door and I took a running leap into the sky, I ignited the thrusters and sped down to earth. I let out a yell of pure exhilaration; I had really outdone myself this time. The new armour was impeccable. Every aspect of it was superior; the flight, the speed, the agility. It was purely brilliant.

'Jarvis, stats?' I breathed as I approached the designated landing area.

'Everything is running at one hundred per cent, sir.' Jarvis announced.

I landed with one knee and fist on the ground, 'and my vitals?'

'So far, so good sir.' Jarvis said simply.

I nodded, 'keep me posted, I need to know if there are any changes, this is a whole new level of energy I'm using up now.'

'Of course sir.'

I willed the armour to disassemble itself, I watched as it compressed itself into a compact folded unit.

'Romanov, do you read me?' I walked through the darkened area of the street away from the surveillance cameras positioned on the corners of the buildings.

'Reading you Stark.' She replied.

'Good, I'm approaching the tunnel entrance; let me know when you're in position.' I crouched down and pulled away the concealed grate which was disguised as a drain cover.

'I'm approaching the building now, Bruce is in position, ready for phase one.' She noted.

'Ok, give me two minutes and I'll clear a path for you through the corridors.' I whispered as I crawled through the narrow tunnel.

'Waiting for your word.' She replied.

I made my way through the dark tunnels as fast as I could, once I located the right path I set up several miniaturised beacons to guide me back through. I found the entry point. I knelt on the ground beside the hatch and located the entry panel. I pulled out my phone, 'ok Jarvis, we need to try and break through this code, I need the hatch integrity uncompromised.'

I keyed in several commands and looked at the numbers which started to appear, whilst I waited I looked around, the musty surroundings where unpleasant to say the least, the stench was hideous. I tried desperately to ignore it as much as I could. I bowed my head and buried my nose against my leg. I looked down at the ground; I cocked my head as I noticed a small toy half buried under the soil. I pulled it out. A Captain America figure, I smiled and remembered playing down here while my dad worked on the bunker. Countless times he had brought me down here to make me memorise how to get here and how to open the door should I ever need it.

My mind clicked straight away, 'Jarvis, I got it.' I stuffed the toy in my pocket and replaced my phone.

I opened the panel and looked at the rusty key pad.

'You have one shot to do this sir, are you sure you don't want me to continue to break the code?' Jarvis asked.

I nodded to myself, 'I'm sure, I remember this.'

Without hesitation, I keyed in the combination which stuck in my mind.

The hatch opened.

'Well done sir.' Jarvis said coolly.

I smiled, 'thanks.'

I pushed the buttons on the Jammer which Bruce had planted yesterday. 'Romanov, I'm in, setting off the jammer now, you're up.'

'Copy that.' She replied.

I sat under the hole Bruce had made, I climbed up on the stool which he left for me, a few moments later the shelf above the hole was moved and Natasha appeared with a smile.

'Let's go.' She grinned.

Her enthusiasm was infectious; I immediately felt excitement for the mission. It was dangerous, and who knows if I would even make it out. But the thrill was as present as ever.

I hoisted myself up through the hole and followed her through the darkened building. We hastily made our way through the corridors.

'Banner, Phase two.' She spoke into her earpiece.

We rounded the corner and met with Bruce, he held out three EMP devices, he handed one to each of us.

'You're sure about this?' he asked as I took mine.

'Pretty sure.' I said as confidently as I could, 'just don't use it if I'm within six feet of you.'

'That's not convincing at all.' He grimaced.

'Never said it would be easy.' I shrugged.

'This is true.' Natasha added, 'this is a last resort, anything gets tripped fire it.' She held up the EMP device.

Both Bruce and I nodded in unison.

'Ok, we're com silent, so if anything goes wrong, there's no way to communicate it, rendezvous in seven minutes at the server room.' I explained as I tucked the EMP device in my back pocket, 'if one of us isn't there,' I paused, 'well, we'll deal with that if it comes to it.'

Bruce nodded uneasily.

'Clint is watching the perimeter, he's on standby.' She added.

'Ok,' Bruce nodded, 'here's the tablet and the laptop.' Bruce handed me a case.

I took it from him, 'good luck,' I smiled, and made my way to the room to face the Nano bomb.

Natasha and Bruce went their allocated ways, I sighed, 'Jarvis, it's just you and me, if the EMP is fired and shuts you down, revert to back up power through the reactor, got it?'

'Of course sir.'

I nodded as I made my way into the room. I closed the door and took a deep breath.

'Well, so far so good.' I muttered.

I knelt beside the device and set up the laptop on the floor beside me and balanced the tablet on my knee. I placed the EMP device beside the laptop.

The lights on the bomb flashed eerily in the night, the glow of my reactor and the laptop screen cast enough light for me to work. I retrieved a set of cables from the case and split the wires under the bomb with a router. I plugged the laptop into the router and waited for the screen to show successful connection. A few seconds later the screen flashed up to welcome me to the Stark server, it brought up every device, building and server connected to it. A breath of relief escaped my lips. I began to key in the code I had written to break through the frequency emitter.

As long as I broke through that, Rick wouldn't be able to detonate, or have any control of the device remotely.

The code was working, slowly. I looked down at my watch, five minutes, 'come on.' I whispered.

Once the code was ready I plugged the tablet into the laptop, 'time for some magic.' I said to myself.

I placed it on the floor so I could have better access to it; I loaded the virus, and readied the system. I prepared myself, once its set there's no turning back.

My finger hovered over the enter key, I closed my eyes and pushed the button.

The virus activated and started spreading through the system; I noticed the systematic shutdown of the whole grid. One after the other, block after block. The virus ran through everything connected to this server and the whole building was plunged into complete darkness. The generator didn't kick in this time. This was my window. I keyed in the final code. The lights on the bomb died down, within seconds they started up again and started to flash gaining speed.

I looked up at it in shock, 'what the hell?' I breathed; I must have tripped a failsafe, some kind of back up detonator.

I looked back down at the tablet and the laptop, the virus was still spreading. The lights continued to flash, gaining speed faster and faster, 'not good, not good, _think_.' I muttered. I typed through the code trying to break through the failsafe. I glanced down at my watch, two minutes, of all the people to be disarming this I had to be the only one who would be affected, so ironic.

'Jarvis are you there?' I asked desperately.

'Yes sir.' He replied.

'Good, I need a little help, are you still able to connect to back up power?' I muttered.

'I am indeed.'

'Shut it down, shut down the arc reactor.' I breathed.

'Sir shutting down the reactor may kill you.' He retorted.

'I know, I don't have time to argue, just do it.' I glanced down at my watch, one minute, I reverted back to the last plan I had reserved in my mind.

Shut down the reactor and contain the Nano bomb to this room only.

I keyed in the back up code I reserved for this scenario; I watched the reactor readings slow down and cease all together. I typed as fast as I could, my heart pounded in my chest as the code flashed before me and was accepted. I fired the EMP. The laptop and tablet shut down beside me and I was plunged into darkness. I swallowed hard; there were so many things I regretted in this moment. I couldn't think beyond the pain I saw in Peppers eyes as she begged me to be careful and come home to her

Jarvis slowly disappeared from me and I could no longer feel my connection to him or the reactor. I closed my eyes as the beeping on the Nano bomb sped up and a blinding flash consumed the small room, I threw my arms up in front of me before I could move, I felt myself weakening and an immediate metallic taste assaulted my mouth. I felt the blood drop to the floor, I heard the pounding of my own heart in my head, I felt it slow down before the darkness finally crept in and then silence…

* * *

**I hope this chapter has a little more aproval lol...if not PLEASE let me know, I can't read minds and see what people like and don't like, and I want as many people as possible to enjoy this with me, comment, whether it be good, bad or anything inbetween, criticism is what makes writers better!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Thank you all who enjoyed the last chapter; I know it gets a bit boring with all the talking and what not, but you know it's necessary, so I've tried to break it up as much as I can, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

'Stark!'

I could vaguely hear someone. I could _feel _the ground below me. That was a good sign.

'Stark!' The voice repeated, it was Romanov.

I moaned at the pain in my head, I tried to get up, I felt her hand push my chest down.

'Don't try to move.' She breathed.

She took hold of my wrist. I made a move to get up again.

'It's ok, just focus on my voice,' she said calmly, 'Banner, coms are up, call Clint.' She spoke quietly.

Coms were up, so it worked, at least it worked and I'm alive. That's a good sign.

'What the hell were you thinking?' She muttered as she raised my head into her lap.

I heard footsteps on the ground somewhere around us, 'What happened?' Bruce asked.

'He lied to us,' she muttered, 'he shut the reactor down to short circuit the bomb.'

'I, I didn't…I…mistake.' I choked out.

'Don't try to talk.' She pressed her hand to my forehead.

I felt like I was on fire, every inch of me was burning, I was in pain, I felt sick. I felt a gargled cough escape from my lips.

'We need to get him out of here.' Natasha whispered.

'Tun…tunnel.' I managed.

'Through the tunnel?' She asked.

I nodded, 'safest.'

'Alright, let Clint know we're on the way.' Natasha said firmly.

I tried to slow my breathing down. The metallic taste in my mouth was overpowering, I felt like throwing up, I tried to open my eyes, everything was red. I started to panic, what the hell was happening to me.

'Try to calm yourself Tony, you're losing a lot of blood, the slower you breathe, the better you'll feel.' She spoke softly.

Losing blood? Why?

I felt Bruce and Natasha link their arms under me and drag me to my feet. Everything was spinning, it was worse than being completely drunk. Stabbing pain wracked my body; I felt blood splutter out as I choked on my own saliva.

'This is bad.' Bruce muttered.

'Really bad, hang in there Tony, nearly there.' Natasha said calmly.

I couldn't blink through the red haze which clouded my eyes, was I bleeding from my eyes?

We must have reached the server room, because we were slowly making our way down into the hole, Bruce helped me down and Natasha followed us.

'Follow the beacons.' Natasha instructed Bruce.

I was so glad I had set the beacons up; I let my head loll forward, the energy had left me completely, I couldn't stay awake I couldn't hold myself up.

'Tony, don't fall asleep.' Natasha nudged me gently.

I couldn't reply, I was struggling to breathe, everything was so difficult.

'He's not looking good, we need to hurry!' Natasha said firmly.

Bruce breathed hard as we rushed through the tunnel, 'what the hell happened?'

'The bomb must have gone off in his face; his arms took most of the force, hurry.' She hissed.

I listened to the shuffle of their feet as we continued to rush through the tunnel, the sound slowly started to fade and their voices became a distant echo and silence beckoned me. Against my will, I gave in and I followed it.

* * *

My eyes watered as I was led through the helicarrier down the winding corridors and into the infirmary. I had been in here all too many times. I clutched Happy's arm as we walked quickly behind Natasha. She was covered in blood; I felt my stomach churn as I ran over potential scenarios in my head, what he would look like, what happened to him, there was just so much blood, each scenario in my head was worse than the previous. I imagined all sorts of horrid things.

She stopped by the door to the room, she looked at me intently, 'he's stable and he'll be ok.' She said quietly, 'that's the important thing to remember.'

I nodded, 'thank you.'

Happy opened the door and motioned for me to go in, I froze.

'Do you want me to come with you?' He took hold of my hand.

'No, it's fine.' I offered a weak smile which hid the terror which threatened to escape.

'You sure?' he asked gently.

I nodded, 'I am.' I took a deep breath and stepped through the door, Happy closed the door behind me.

My breath hitched as I saw him lying in the bed, his eyes were closed and his breathing was laboured, the machines around him beeped and indicated he was still alive. Without that I don't think I would have believed he was.

A chair was placed beside the bed, I made my way to it slowly, without making a sound I sat down and gently took his hand in mine. Every inch of his body looked like it was punctured by needles, small droplets of blood seeped through the bandages which covered his arms and chest, the glow of the reactor soothed me, he was alive.

Dried blood surrounded his eyes, and trailed down his cheeks. A tube was placed down his throat; the machine connected to it was slowly pumping oxygen into his lungs.

I covered my mouth; I couldn't take my eyes away from him.

His hand twitched in mine, I leaned in closer to him, 'hey Tony, can you hear me?'

He squeezed my hand gently and made a gargled noise, I placed my fingers on his lips gently.

'Don't try to speak, I'm here, you're safe.' I rubbed circles on the back of his hand.

He nodded against the pillow; I saw translucent red tears escape from the corner of his eyes.

I sat beside him on the bed, careful not to touch his body, 'you're ok, you're nice and safe and soon you'll be at home with me,' I kissed his cheek as gently as I could, 'this is all over, you did it.' I smiled through my own tears.

A small tap on the door caught my attention; I looked over and saw Rhodey peeking in through the partially opened door.

'Can I come in?' He whispered.

I nodded silently and motioned for him to sit in the chair.

'Hey buddy.' He said quietly smiling at Tony and taking a seat, 'how is he?' He looked at me sideways.

I shrugged, 'they say he's stable, but it looks so bad.' I sighed.

'I know, but they know what they're talking about right?' He asked quietly.

'I hope so, I hope they're right.' I looked back at Tony's face.

I took a tissue from the bedside table and wet it in a glass of water which sat beside the box. I wiped his eyes, the blood came away easily.

'What happened?' Rhodey asked disbelievingly.

I looked at him, 'I don't know, no one told me anything.'

'I'll go and find out.' Rhodey added.

'You go, I'll stay with him.' I offered.

He stood up and squeezed my shoulder, 'I'll be back.'

I nodded; I sat down in the chair and lay my head on the bed so that I could still see Tony's face.

He grimaced every so often, and every few hours the nurses would come and up the morphine, every time that happened I watched him groan in agony until the pain killers kicked in.

My eyes remained fixed on his, the crimson tears continued to flow, I squeezed his hand.

'Pepper, can I talk to you?' Natasha walked in without knocking; I got up and followed her silently.

She led me to a small office in which Rhodey was already waiting, I sat down in the chair and she sat on the desk and looked at me.

'He's going to be ok.' She said firmly.

I looked to Rhodey, he nodded.

'What happened?' I asked finally.

She sighed and looked down at her hands.

'Tell me.' I demanded.

'I'm not sure,' she looked at me intently, 'but from what I gathered amidst the chaos, a secondary trigger was tripped, and the detonation was contained to the room Tony was in, the bomb was a nano technology.'

She handed me a small glass jar with what looked like small metal mites in it, 'and based on the tests we did when he was brought here, it seems that the explosion released the nano mites into the air, they infected whatever they came into contact with, including Tony, but the final virus he released to shut it down did just that, but it also caused the mites to react the way they did, hence the injuries.'

I nodded, I looked down at the small mites, 'did they cause any permanent damage, his eyes.' I muttered.

'No, it's just surface damage; everything will heal as it should.' She said with a gentle smile.

'Are you sure?' I pleaded, I couldn't live with false hope, it hurt too much.

She nodded, 'yes, it looks much worse than it is.' She smiled.

A relief washed over me, I knew the truth from Natasha's mouth was _truth_.

I sat in the room watching the slow rise and fall of Tony's chest. His eyes had finally stopped watering and he seemed more comfortable.

Rhodey sat beside me, he had fallen asleep hours ago, Happy stood by the window looking out over at the sky. I couldn't bring myself to leave Tony's side. I held on to his hand until my fingers became numb. Only then did I let go to swap hands.

The heart monitor he was hooked up to signalled the vast improvement he was showing. I felt much more at ease, much more relaxed knowing he was actually going to be alright.

Happy turned from the window and looked at me, 'how are you doing?'

I sighed, 'you know.' I offered a weak smile.

'Yeah.' He let out an exasperated laugh.

'He'll be able to go home soon, when he does, I want him to have a quiet recovery, I don't want Fury or S.H.I.E.L.D or anyone calling him for anything.' I said firmly.

Happy nodded, 'I'll make sure the press is kept at bay, Rhodey will keep the military off your back and you just help him get back on his feet.'

'Definitely.' I agreed.

Happy walked over to Tony and squeezed his hand gently; he smiled at me and shook his head at Rhodey, 'I'm going for a smoke.'

'I'll be here.' I said with a smile.

I reached over to Rhodey, his head lolled to the side so I gently pushed his head to an upright position.

He mumbled something incoherent and grunted.

I could just imagine how these two and Happy would have had the best time in college; the thought brought a smile to my face.

Tony stirred under my touch, 'hey, hey I'm here.' I whispered leaning in closer to him.

'Pep?' His voice was husky.

I nodded, 'I'm here, do you need anything, are you thirsty?'

He nodded against the pillow.

I took a cup which the nurse brought in earlier filled with ice chips, I put them to his mouth and let him wet his lips.

'Do you want to try and open your eyes?' I asked as softly as I could.

He shook his head, 'can't, still burns.' He whispered.

'That's ok, there's no rush.' I squeezed his hand.

'This sucks.' He muttered.

I couldn't help but laugh, 'I know.'

He smirked too, 'I feel so…weak.'

'You're not weak, you're injured, it's fine.' I corrected him.

'Weak and injured.' He retorted.

'Oh Tony.' I smiled.

'Don't laugh at me Potts.' He grinned squeezing my hand back.

'I wouldn't dare.' I said sarcastically.

We sat in silence for at least five minutes, I didn't want to bring him down, I didn't want to cry and upset him. He had more important things to deal with than my emotions.

He squeezed my hand and turned his head to face me, 'I'm so sorry Pepper.' He said finally, he struggled to open his eyes.

I leaned in closer to him and cupped his cheek, 'you've nothing to be sorry for, it was an accident.'

He reached up and placed his hand over mine, 'I had no choice, it would have infected the whole system.'

'I know Tony, Natasha told me.' I smiled weakly.

His eyes were blood shot, but I finally saw his warm brown eyes smile back at me.

'You are amazing.' He breathed.

'One has to be to keep up with Tony Stark.' I smirked.

He grinned and closed his eyes again, 'help me up,' he held his hands out.

I stood up and pulled him up with as much gentle force as I could.

'Are you ok?' I asked quietly.

He nodded, 'I'm good.'

I took a wet tissue from a packet and placed it in his hand, 'you're eyes still need some love, don't rub them.'

He laughed and took the tissue to his eyes, 'this is horrible.' He muttered looking down at the blood stained tissue.

'It's not pretty, but you're lucky it's not serious.' I looked at him intently.

'That's true.' He agreed.

I sat on the bed beside him, 'how long have I been out?' he asked.

'About thirteen hours.' I glanced at the clock on the wall.

He nodded, 'and him?' he pointed to Rhodey who was now snoring in the corner.

I rolled my eyes, 'probably as long.' I laughed.

'Any excuse to sleep.' Tony laughed; he swung his legs out of bed, 'best part of the Extremis.'

'The healing time?' I asked.

'Yeah, who knows how long this would have taken without it.' He muttered.

'Who knows if you would have even survived without it.' I added.

As much as I hated the danger the Extremis put him in, and how unstable and unknown the technology was, in this moment I was eternally thankful for it.

He made a move to stand up, I stepped in front of him, 'are you sure you're ready to stand up?'

I looked into his eyes, he took both of his hands and placed them on my hips, 'I'm sure Pep, and besides you're here, you'll make sure I'm safe.' He grinned.

I rolled my eyes, 'ok, let's go.' I wrapped my arms under his waist, just as he was on his own two feet he bent down and kissed me, I felt the joy and passion spread to my veins, he wrapped his arms around my body. I felt him hold himself up against me, he buried his face in my hair.

'You ok?' I whispered.

He nodded, 'feels so good to know it's over.'

'I know.' I sighed and wrapped my arms tighter around him.

He pulled back slightly and pulled my hands away from him so that he could hold them in his hands; he ran his finger over the ring. He smiled absently, 'you're still wearing it.'

'Of course I'm still wearing it, why wouldn't I?' I asked incredulously.

'I thought it was a dream, in which you said yes.' He whispered.

I smiled at the slightly insecure Tony Stark who stood before me, 'well Mr Stark it isn't.'

He laughed softly, 'well soon to be Mrs Stark, I thank you for making me a dreamer.'

Mrs Stark, I couldn't believe it, I had never said the words aloud, I had never thought about the depth of them. I was going to be the wife of Tony Stark. My heart fluttered.

'That sounds really good.' I grinned.

'It does doesn't it.' He pulled me into a tight embrace.

Rhodey cleared his throat behind us, 'you two still look like two seals fighting over a grape.'

'Go find your own hospital room, I was here _first_.' Tony laughed.

'Oh lord.' I muttered with a never ending grin.

The past two months were torture, uncertainty plagued us all, today we all stood with a new found optimism for the future, Tony was better and Rick was gone. Natasha informed later us that when Tony had accidentally tripped the secondary detonator on the bomb that Rick's whereabouts were located through the IP address he was hacking in with. Tony shrugged it off as a lucky break, I knew better. I knew _him _better. There were no accidents in Tony's work, everything he did was to plan and everything was by design.

It gave _me _new found hope that everything was going to be fine.

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**So there we go, hopefully a little more excitement and Pepperony and hopefully something more to come which will entice you a little bit more, so we'll soon be coming into even more action sequences for the upcoming chapters and even more Tony kickass! YAY lol**


	35. Chapter 35

**I know the boring talking is boring, sorry guys, I guess for these chapters I'm writing for myself LOL...either way, hope you enjoy the lead up into the action scenes which are coming by the bucket loads!**

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It gave _me _new found hope that everything was going to be fine, however our celebrations were short lived when Tony got sick again, it hit him harder than before, just as he said it would. Rhodey and Happy were ordered to stop coming around, he cut all ties to everyone in the outside world. His smile was non-existent and his eyes grew colder as the days went on.

The house was a tomb, I felt like I was mourning him whilst he was alive. I had lost count of the hours and the days which passed as most of my time was spent crying and trying to make sense of what was happening.

There were days where I wouldn't even see him; he would spend the day down in the workshop only to be told by Jarvis that he had lost consciousness. When I would try to help him he would shout. I never got angry, only frustrated, frustrated at the pain which I could see in his eyes and the inability to do anything to help.

One day I made my way down to the workshop with the intention of fighting every remark and retort he threw my way, when I got down there I was shocked by what I saw.

'Tony!' I ran to his side, I dropped to my knees.

'Oh my god, Tony, please, please wake up.' I shook his shoulder.

He lay on his stomach, a pool of blood welled up around his head, 'Jarvis!' I screamed.

No answer, I looked to the screens which lined his desk, _Jarvis System reboot completion time estimated at two hours._

'Tony!' I screamed in his ear, 'get up, don't you dare do this to me!'

I turned him onto his back, he was still breathing, I felt myself calm down slightly, I sprinted to the first aid supplies he kept in the workshop. I threw myself on the ground beside him with the medical kit, I examined his face; everything was fine, his head was fine, at least he didn't crack his head on the ground.

I noticed that the blood was from his nose which was good news, this I could deal with, this I knew. I cleaned his face as best as I could, I cradled his head in my lap and pulled out my phone, 'Rhodey, please come quickly, it's Tony, I need help, I didn't know who else to call.'

Panic was something which I had learnt to keep under control working for Tony for so many years and even more so since Iron Man came into the picture. I controlled my breathing and remained seated by his side, before Bruce left amongst the other friends Tony had refused to see, he showed me what to do should he ever lose consciousness and depending on what the symptoms were, how to deal with it. So here I sat with his head cradled on the pillow and my hand on his chest letting him know I was here.

Rhodey ran down the stairs, 'what happened, Pepper, where are you?' he yelled.

'Here.' I croaked through my broken voice.

'Jesus, what happened?' Rhodey dropped to his knees beside me.

'He'll be ok, he should be in bed.' I whispered.

'Pepper.' He said quietly looking down at the pool of blood.

'Please, help me.' I looked at him pleadingly.

He nodded without making eye contact.

Together we carried him upstairs, a knot formed in my throat, this was too familiar, too soon. I shook my head, 'he's going to be fine.' I muttered.

Once he was safely laid in our bed, I walked wordlessly to the bar; I poured myself a glass of wine and sat with my back to Rhodey and the rest of the house.

I sat staring glumly at the giant bunny which sat on the stairs, an engagement present from Happy and Rhodey; I smiled to myself, their idea of a subtle hint of what was waiting for me as the future wife of a dissolute playboy. I looked away from the plush toy, I balanced the glass between my fingertips, my whole being was completely exhausted, everything was extraordinarily difficult.

'What happened?' Rhodey's voice broke through the silence.

I shook my head, 'he's dying,' I managed. The realisation was an impossible one. I felt the lump in the back of my throat double in size, saying it out aloud was even more sickening.

Rhodey stood in at the back of the room; it had been more than three weeks since he had seen Tony, since I was even able to talk to him without Tony getting upset.

I drank the rest of the wine and poured myself another glass, Rhodey took the glass from me and sat on the chair beside me.

'Don't do this to yourself.' He whispered.

'Why not?' I looked down at my feet.

'Because I'm not going to sit by and watch my two closest friends fade away from existence.' He said quietly.

I turned to the window and looked out at the night sky, 'he's going to die and I don't know how I can continue all this without him.'

'He won't die, you know we'll work something out, we always do, and _he_ won't stop trying.' He said firmly.

'And if he does, there'll be nothing left, if he dies, I'm done, I'm not interested in all this anymore, the company, the cause, I'm done.' I took the glass back from Rhodey and drank it.

Rhodey dropped his gaze to the floor.

'Already written me off, Potts?' Tony said from the back of the room.

My face immediately broke into a smile I turned to face him; he stood by the door leaning against the frame; I made my way over to him.

He wrapped his arms around me and planted a kiss on my forehead, 'everything will be ok,' he whispered so that only I heard him. He raised my chin so that our eyes connected, 'and don't do this drinking thing Pep, I've been there, you don't want to be that person, trust _me_.' He said gently.

I immediately regretted it, I knew how long and hard he fought against it, I knew how hard he had fought to change and I was throwing It back in his face.

'I'm sorry.' I whispered back.

He smiled softly, 'don't be, I just don't want to see you become like me.'

'There's nothing wrong with you.' I whispered back.

He smiled, 'thanks to you, but before that, you remember how bad it was, you don't want to be that person.'

I nodded, 'are you ok?'

'I will be, I promise.' He smiled.

Rhodey and Tony looked at each other, the tension was ever present, I know it was pride that killed Tony and Rhodey didn't quite understand it, but despite any feuds between them, they were best friends regardless and Rhodey would always be there.

I caught Tony offer him a small smile and a quick nod before turning from us and making his way down to the shop.

'Does he just live down there now?' Rhodey asked as soon as Tony was out of earshot.

I nodded, 'all day every day.' I sighed.

'I should go and talk to him.' He said quietly.

'Maybe that would be a good idea.' I agreed.

Rhodey nodded and made his way down to speak with Tony, I hoped that something good would come out of it, even if he was just there so Tony could vent, and get it all out.

I sat in the hot rod, my favourite place to think. The glow of the screens before me was the only light in the darkened room.

'Can I come in?' Rhodey asked from the foot of the stairs.

I nodded.

He walked over and opened the passenger door and sat down, 'have you been working on anything new?'

'No, just trying to find some other way to keep the symptoms at bay.' I looked down at my hands.

'You're not confident are you?' Rhodey said quietly staring straight ahead.

'No,' that was the simple truth.

Rhodey nodded, 'I'm here, you know that right.'

'I know.' I offered him a weak smile, 'thank you,' I blurted out, he turned to look at me, 'for being…there.'

He shook his head, 'no Tony, we're not doing this whole thank you and goodbye speech.'

I nodded weakly and smiled, 'well, just wanted to say it anyway.'

'I don't want to hear it.' He said defensively.

I grinned, 'I know you're going to miss me Rhodes, but just imagine all the cool things you can do with everything here.' I gestured to the workshop.

'Don't even joke about that.' He said in a serious tone.

'I'm not joking, War Machine, Iron Man; whatever you want, it's all yours.' I explained, I nodded toward the suits on display.

He turned back to look at me, 'you're not dying, you're just not.'

I had nothing to say to that, I couldn't say whether I was or not, I couldn't tell anything at all and truth be told, it terrified me.

'Have you tried anything else?' He asked impatiently, 'any other ideas for something which may work?'

'I've been looking, I've got an idea, but it's not really going to be legal.' I looked to him for the disapproving look he donned so well.

Instead he grinned, 'well, no one ever said anything worthwhile doing was easy.'

I nodded, 'no they didn't.'

Jarvis ran the requested files over and over, while Rhodey looked over everything with me.

I pinched the bridge of my nose as nausea washed over me for the hundredth time today.

'You ok?' He asked quietly.

I nodded, 'yeah.' I breathed.

'Have you had anything to eat?' He asked.

'No, can't.' I managed through gritted teeth.

I felt him squeeze my shoulder, 'is there anything I can do?'

I shook my head, 'no, nothing.' I breathed.

The overwhelming nausea flooded my insides, and then came the pain. I knew that it was inevitable; I knew this would be a regular thing now. My insides felt like someone was pulling me apart inside out and squeezing every organ until it popped.

'Should I call Pepper?' He asked, I heard panic in his voice.

'No, don't call anyone.' I stammered, 'it's fine.'

'You shouldn't do this alone Tony.' He argued.

'It's fine, believe me.' I tried to reassure him, as much as I tried to reassure myself.

'You do this every day?' He asked incredulously.

I nodded, 'every day.'

I heard him sigh beside me, 'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be, my choice.'

'Because you don't feel you can ask us to help?' He said quietly.

I changed my mind, there was something he needed to do for me, 'I _am _asking for help.' I said breathlessly.

I slowed my breathing down and focused on the present, I tried to push out the pain, I leaned my head back on the head rest in the hot rod.

'What do you need?' He asked quietly.

'The cigar case from my desk.' I shut my eyes against the throbbing pain in my head.

'Ok.' He swung the door open and left my side, moments later he was sitting back down beside me.

I finally forced myself to open my eyes, I felt the bile building up in the back of my throat, my vision was red again, and these symptoms were hitting me so much harder than I had anticipated.

'Your eyes.' Rhodey gasped.

I blinked through it as much as I could, 'I know, the syringe with the blue vial.' I dismissed him.

He prepped the injection and held it out.

I pointed to my neck, 'here.'

'What?' He glared back at me, 'no I can't do this, I'm not qualified to do this.'

'Don't worry, you're fine, here, I can't do it myself.' I said calmly pointing to my neck.

He shook his head, 'I really can't do this.'

I took a deep breath, 'I'm going to go into shock in about five seconds, just do it.'

The look of shock on his face would have been amusing if it were any other time.

'Ok, alright, are you ready?' He held it up; _he_ looked like he was going to pass out.

'Ready.' I nodded, 'do it.'

I waited for the needle to pierce my skin, I grit my teeth, it was over within seconds, and then came the burning pain. That was still better than the helpless feeling of shock.

My breathing slowed down and I felt my heart rate even out, I let out a sigh of relief, this was too close for comfort, last time I missed my window I fell and nearly cracked my skull open.

Rhodey's voice was distant, but I heard him calling my name, panic was laced through his words.

Once I gathered enough strength to open my eyes I lolled my head to the side and looked at him.

He sighed, 'Jesus Tony, this is crazy, are you ok?'

I nodded slightly, 'yeah.'

'What is this?' He held up the syringe.

'It's a wonderful concoction of Stark approved nano tech and reverse engineered Extremis serum.' I explained.

'You're treating the Extremis virus with the Extremis?' He asked dubiously.

'Yeah, it's like treating a hangover with more scotch.' I grinned.

'On the literal brink of death and still cracking jokes and taking chances.' He shook his head with a disbelieving smile.

I shrugged, 'best time to take chances,' I rubbed my face, 'and crack jokes.'

'You look a lot better.' He said seriously.

'Yeah, it's quite a good little cocktail.' I muttered, 'too bad it isn't a permanent fix.'

'There are a lot of people in the world with diseases and things that need constant medication, couldn't this be like that?' he asked thoughtfully.

'Could be, but I doubt it.' I rubbed the injection site, the burn was intense.

'Why?' He turned his body to face me, 'why couldn't it be like that?' He shook his head, 'I refuse to believe you're just going to die like this.'

I got out of the car and leaned against the door, 'you think I want to die Rhodey?' I asked simply.

My question lingered between us, I didn't turn to face him, but I could picture the look on his face, wracking his brain for the right thing to say, if anything at all.

'You think I want to die and leave Pepper behind?' I added, 'there is no way I'm giving up on life right now, I might not be worth anything to the people in this world, but I mean something to Pepper, and that's enough.'

'You're wrong, the world needs you, we all do.' He said finally.

'Maybe so; but I'm not doing this for the world.' I turned to face him, 'I didn't use the Extremis to protect _them_, I did it for her, and for the few people who actually care whether I live or die.'

'That's all that matters then, so fight, don't sit here and tell me there's an idea but it's illegal, since when do _you _care about legalities Tony, let's do it, I'm with you on this, whatever you need.' He got out of the car and stood leaning against the door.

I smiled and looked down at my feet, 'you're going to regret that.'

'Maybe, but I'm taking a chance.' He said immediately.

I nodded, 'thank you.'

'You don't have to thank me,' Rhodey smiled, 'just don't die.'

'Well then, let's work on this plan shall we?' I grinned.

'I _am_ going to regret this aren't I?' he asked nervously.

'Maybe, but you just might enjoy it.' I said nonchalantly.

So it was done, I had my best friend on my side. The plan was insane to say the least, but it was a plan and that was better than what I had before, nothing.

I pulled up schematics of a building which Rhodey recognised immediately, and immediately I saw his jaw drop, I grinned at his reaction, but he didn't back down and that's what I needed. We worked into the night, and well into the morning, Pepper brought us dinner and breakfast and everything in between.

Everything was set and my mind was at ease, I swore Rhodey to secrecy, no one could know. Should it fail I needed everyone around me safe, the less they knew the safer they would be. Rhodey could look after himself and no one else need be implicated.

We parted the next day with a renewed sense of friendship and I felt hopeful for the first time in weeks.

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**Anyone excited to see what Tony's insane plan is? Poor Rhodey, he's a little scared! I'm going to take a little longer to work on the next few chapters, I want to make sure I do the story justice, and ensure the action sequences are informative and easy enough to follow!**

**Let me know what you think, I'm getting ready for the tough scenes now, so any advice or tips will be much appreciated. Also throwing an idea out there to you guys, what do you think if I write a few scenes from Jarvis' third person type POV, I think this will make the action sequences easier to follow and it will allow more characters to be involved! This was a suggestion from a reader, what does everyone think/feel about that?**

**Hoping to hear from you soon :)**


	36. Chapter 36

**Ok WOW...so I finally put this together, I hope it is to your liking, without you, I am nothing! Hehe, also, quick warning, there is a naughty scene, not too graphic! There is also a little bit of nail biting suspense.**

**This chapter was written in third person, I thought I would try a little something different as was requested by a few readers, let me know if you would like it to continue this way, I think I enjoy it more, personally, but I aim to please, so let me know!**

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They sat together before the screens; Tony had his head in his hands. Another wave of nausea washed over him as Rhodey retrieved another vial of blue liquid, "temporary relief".

'You ready?' He asked firmly.

Tony nodded, 'do it.'

Moments later, the color returned to his face and they continued working. More and more he suffered and more and more they worked. Rhodey was getting used to the routine as was Tony.

'So we're breaking into the military base.' Rhodey said with a nervous sigh.

'Yep.' Tony replied weakly.

They looked at each other; Rhodey stood up and rubbed his face, 'how are we getting in?'

Tony brought up another image of the building and swiped it over to the three dimensional platform. He sat back and watched the image spin and come to life, 'these are weak security access points.' He said simply.

'How do you know that?' Rhodey asked quizzically.

'I designed the security system.' Tony replied.

Rhodey nodded, 'ok, what's the best access point?' Rhodey leaned against the desk.

Tony stood up and spun the image around, he pointed to the weapons bunker, 'right here, it's a small window of opportunity, fifteen seconds to be exact.'

'Fifteen seconds.' Rhodey nodded.

'There are three vantage points in which there is a blind spot, each of these locations has a five second window, it needs to be timed perfectly.' Tony explained.

Rhodey nodded again, 'alright, five seconds in each of the three locations, then the entry to the bunker will give us cover for the rest of the building?'

'The surveillance hotspots within the corridors leading from the bunker to the lab are also weak in several areas, with a little help from Jarvis and some careful sneaking around I should be able to get us to the main server for the security feeds, once in I can loop the feed and then we've got seven minutes to locate the prize.' Tony looked up at Rhodey who looked like he was told he had a terminal illness.

'Ok, sounds simple enough.' He managed a nervous laugh.

Tony looked at him intently, noticing the hesitation on his friends face, 'if we get caught Rhodey, we're screwed, this is a huge deal, I can't expect you to risk your career for me,' Tony explained.

The men looked at each other for a brief moment of silence.

Rhodey cleared his throat, 'if this can help to save your life, then it's not even a question, I'm doing it.'

Tony nodded, 'thank you.'

'Like I said, just don't die.' Rhodey offered a weak smile.

'I will try not to die, promise.' He grinned.

'Ok, lay it down, we need to get this plan down to the second, everything depends on synchronisation and timing.' Rhodey clapped his hands together.

'Indeed, we're going to need to do this tonight, I don't have much time.' He said softly.

Rhodey turned slightly to face him; he furrowed his brow, 'how long?'

Tony looked at him, 'by the looks of this,' he brought up a screen which held all the results of his condition, 'less than a week.'

'Then we better hurry this up.' Rhodey muttered, the look on his face said so much more than he ever expressed. His pained expression was difficult to look at. He was on the verge of potentially losing his best friend.

Tony let out an exasperated sigh, he knew that the mission was extremely crucial, but there was such a small window of opportunity to make this work, he knew Rhodey was as nervous about it as he was. He too had so much to lose; he mentally thanked his friend for the sacrifice he was willing to make for him.

'Ok, the final shift change is at twelve fifteen,' he looked to his friend, 'I know we said suits were out of the question, but I need you in there with the War Machine, it's our best option, go in, work on some mods, anything to make an appearance.' Tony waited for Rhodey to agree before moving on.

Rhodey nodded, 'I'll be in there before nine, if I come too late it will draw too much attention, then I'll let you in through the secure entrance.'

Tony's nod of acknowledgement was full of hesitation, 'Rhodey, it's not too late for you to change your mind.'

'I'm going with you, I already told you.' He said simply not raising his eyes from his work 'is S.H.I.E.L.D on board with this?'

'No, this is off the books.' Tony said quietly, 'we're on our own.'

'Well it's a good thing you've got me then.' He grinned, 'we'll make this work, don't worry about a thing, I know that base back to front; we're in and out, no problems.'

'I'm counting on it.' Tony said with a matching grin. 'This is what I'll need to break into the system, have it ready in the bunker, hide it somewhere secure, without this, tonight will be for nothing.' Tony handed Rhodey a bunch of cables, a lock chip, his laptop and a small array of tools, he stuffed the items into a black bag.

'Got it, I better head there now, meeting point one at twelve fifteen?' Rhodey said as he gathered Tony's things and left, he paused at the exit to the workshop, 'and don't be late.' He smirked.

Tony laughed, 'I won't be.'

A few hours later, looking over the plan a hundred and one times Tony turned away from his desk. There was nothing else he could do, the plan was set, and everything was watertight. He tried to anticipate any possible time lapses, any possible snags in the plan, _he_ designed the security system, and he _knew_ there would be no flaws. But tonight was so important he didn't dare risk anything through his arrogance.

Before he knew it, it was nearly ten. The time had flown by, he slowly got up and stretched, 'Jarvis, is Pepper up?'

'Yes sir, she is on the couch in the living area.'

'Thank you, we're done for the night.' Tony looked over the workshop; his suits, the cars and the robots. He smiled at the nostalgic feeling which flooded his body; this could be the last time he would be down here, seeing any of this. He finally pushed the code to the doors and left, the workshop was plunged into darkness and Tony walked away for what he considered could be his last time.

He walked casually through the house toward the living area, taking in his surroundings, things he often took for granted. The art, the photographs, his random collections of assorted goods, things Pepper shook her head at and rolled her eyes about. He smiled to himself; nostalgia was never something he associated with himself. But things had changed, _he_ had changed.

Failure wasn't an option; he needed to succeed, for her, for Pepper.

He found her sitting on the couch, in the dark, watching the late news. Her skin was illuminated by the glow of the TV; even in this light he could see her beauty, her perfection. He smiled to himself.

She looked lost in thought as the news reader was making comments about the weather Malibu was having recently; she furrowed her brow at the forecast rain.

A storm _was_ coming, Tony could feel it, the darkness outside was accompanied by howling, ferocious winds, he shivered at the thought of the cold and dark he would soon be facing. He pushed the uneasiness to the back of his mind.

Without disturbing her, he walked over to the piano and sat down; he closed his eyes as he let his fingers trace the keys softly. With a deep breath he began playing his favourite tune, _The Moonlight Sonata, _memories flooded back through his mind. His childhood; his mother teaching him to play, his father enjoying a moment with him, then the death of his family ripped through his world. He played at their funeral. The haunting melody weaved threads of sadness and truth throughout him.

He was facing his mortality and he was terrified.

'It's so beautiful, and sad.' Peppers voice broke through the haze of darkness like a bolt of lightning.

He didn't stop playing; he only smiled to himself silently.

She sat beside him and watched as his fingers gracefully danced across the keys. It was the most amazing thing she'd heard, his brilliance was constantly in the spotlight, but this was a part of him no one, but she knew about. And she cherished it, she watched as he felt the music, she watched as he was carried away by the tune, and tears sprung to her eyes.

'Tonight is dangerous isn't it?' She asked quietly.

The song finally came to an end and he turned to look at her; he wordlessly cupped her cheek and wiped her tears away with his thumb.

'It is, but I believe that Rhodey and I can do it.' He replied with a gentle smile.

Pepper moved closer to him so their bodies were touching. He wrapped his arm around her protectively. The silence was full of worry and fear. Pepper's body shook against his; she buried her face against his chest.

He pulled her up to sit on his lap; she wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes.

She leaned her forehead against his, 'I can't do this Tony.' She whispered, 'I can't keep feeling like this, it hurts too much.'

He felt the guilt creeping up on him, 'it will be over soon, I promise.'

'Just come home to me Tony.' She breathed against his neck.

He pulled away so that their eyes met, he looked at her knowingly.

'I will.' He whispered, he leaned in and brought his lips to hers.

She instinctively ran her hands through his hair and deepened the kiss, she heard him moan slightly against her mouth. He ran his hands under her shirt and clutched at her hips.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, 'this better not be goodbye.' She whispered between kisses.

'And leave this?' He smiled, 'never.' He pulled back momentarily.

His eyes met with hers, his smile made her heart skip a beat every time. Forgetting the fear of what tonight would bring, she pulled him closer and she felt the passion ignite within her, their bodies tangled together as he leaned her against the piano, she couldn't imagine anything more perfect, it was beautiful.

'I love you Tony Stark.' She whispered into his ear, as his hands found their way along her thighs and pushed her skirt up.

'I love _you_ Pepper Potts.'

He trailed kisses along her jawline as he tangled his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer, her breath hitched as she finally felt what she had wanted to for so long. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt him closer within her.

'Oh god, I love you so much.' She breathed.

Tony pulled back and looked into her eyes, 'and I you, forever.'

The moment, the passion, the love, grew with every touch and every kiss, wordlessly conveying the love for each other and hope for what tonight would bring. There was nothing on earth which would keep Tony from coming home to this, to her. He wrapped his arm around the small of her back and pulled her closer against him.

Her breath against his neck, her soft moans, everything worth dying for was here, but more than that, she was everything he needed to live for.

She clutched his arms as the height of passion erupted between them; she buried her head in the nape of his neck as he held her closer than he ever had. Nothing would keep them apart.

The bliss was intoxicating, the silent acceptance of what was to come broke his heart, 'I have to go.' He whispered.

'I know.' She nodded.

Pepper quietly left him to his thoughts; he stood by the window, looking out over the ocean before him. He realised how much everything depended on tonight. The weight of the mission before him pushed down on him, his heart was heavy. He glanced down at his watch, just after eleven.

Pepper came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He laid his hands over hers.

'What are you thinking about?' She asked quietly looking over his shoulder at the waves crashing against the shore.

He turned around and gave her a quick grin; he loved it when she wore his t-shirts, 'just about how amazing you are, and how lucky I am.'

Even years on, his charm still made her giddy, she felt a slight blush spread across her cheeks, he gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.

'You're pretty amazing yourself.' She smiled.

Tony playfully rolled his eyes, 'well, that goes without saying.' He looked down at his watch; the time to leave was nearing. He wished he could stay here, with her.

She smiled sadly, 'you're leaving now?'

Tony glanced down at his watch, 'yeah, I can't be late for this party.' He smiled.

'Well, don't be late coming home.' She tried to say as light heartedly as possible.

The words weighed on them both, the playful banter helped to break up the heavy blanket of fear and dread which smothered them.

He planted a kiss on her forehead, 'I love you Pepper Potts.' He whispered.

'Just come home.' She pleaded, she wasn't saying goodbye, and instead she hurried him out of the house in hopes that the night would be short and above all, successful.

As she watched Tony drive off into the night, she fell to her knees and cried, the scent of his cologne lingered on the shirt she wore, hysteria completely took her by surprise and she felt she couldn't breathe, the walls were closing in on her. But this wasn't goodbye, he would be home soon, and then they would continue their lives as it was meant to be.

* * *

The night had calmed down considerably, this made it a lot easier to listen out for footsteps or voices, Tony stood behind a wall about fifty feet from the meeting point. He looked down at his watch, 'three…two…one,' he counted in his head then ran; he stopped by another wall which blocked him from the view of the second security camera.

He glanced down at his watch again, and took off to a third position, this time he threw himself into a lying down position. He looked over his shoulder and noticed the camera pan over his location. The shadow from the wall beside him created a perfect blind spot, he pressed the com in his ear, 'Rhodey, I'm in position.'

A few seconds later the maintenance door beside him opened, Tony glanced down at his watch again, he counted down the seconds until he could make his move, at the right time he rolled over and pushed himself down through the small door feet first.

'You made it.' Rhodey laughed.

'You didn't doubt me did you?' Tony grinned back dusting his clothes off.

'Never once,' he smiled.

Tony collected the equipment Rhodey had hidden under a shelf. 'Wait here a moment,' Tony instructed.

He pulled out the laptop, and plugged it into the bundle of wires which was hidden discretely behind a panel which was made to look like a vent.

A few moments later her waived Rhodey over, 'we're good, the feed has been looped, we have exactly seven minutes to find the formula, get it out and clear the building before the surveillance comes back online.' He quickly grabbed the remainder of his equipment.

Rhodey nodded, they hurried through the corridors following Tony's instructions.

They rounded a corner and Tony stopped abruptly, he held his hand out to stop Rhodey. He put his finger to his lips, a few moments later he waved him on to continue. They rushed through the halls until they came to the lab.

'Alright, you're up, work some magic.' Rhodey whispered, 'seven minutes and counting.'

Tony sat down at one of the computers; he produced a lock chip from the bag and plugged it in, a few moments later the relieving words, _Access Granted _flashed up on the screen.

'I'm in, I'm going to need at least four minutes here, cover me.' He muttered to Rhodey while he worked through the encryption and searched for the formula which would be his saviour.

Rhodey stood by the door, out of sight and away from the security cameras.

'We're down to six minutes Tony.' Rhodey alerted.

Tony nodded without looking away from the screen, 'come on, I know you're in there.' He muttered to himself. He flipped through dozens of screens, he felt the sweat begin to bead on his brow.

'Five minutes man, come on.' Rhodey started to sound nervous.

'Nearly there, keep me posted.' Tony lied, he was getting anxious, he thought he would have it by now, he thought he would have found the correct file, and cracked it. Instead he flipped through endless, useless projects, nothing which would be of use. He felt the panic start to rise, where the hell was it.

'Someone's coming, hurry!' Rhodey hissed.

Tony's eyes remained fixed on the screen, fingers typing away faster than he had ever remembered, his heart pounded in his chest, finally, he found the file, 'got it, twenty seconds.'

Rhodey looked around, 'we don't have twenty seconds.' He hissed.

Against Tony's wishes he pulled the door open and walked out.

'What are you doing, get back in, Rhodey!' Tony hissed in a low whisper.

He was gone, he couldn't give up on this, he still had the mission and the mission wasn't complete. He watched the download bar reach one hundred per cent; he pulled the flash drive out and stuffed it into the bag. After making sure the room was left in the same condition he found it in, he ran to the door and nearly crashed into Rhodey.

'We have company.' He said quietly.

Tony's breath caught in his chest, he waited to be arrested and for all hope to be lost.

'You should have just told me what you were planning in the first place and this would have been a lot easier for everyone.' A small grin met him.

Romanov, he smiled at her, he couldn't believe how glad he was to see her. She pulled off the hat she was wearing and dropped the mop she was carrying.

'What are you doing here?' Tony asked curiously.

'An external attempt to hack the secure defence system is threatening to compromise your loop,' She explained as they walked, 'I'll explain the rest later, come on, you've only got two minutes to clear out by my count.'

Tony looked at her curiously, who would be trying to hack the military at the same time he was here, coincidence? He didn't believe in coincidence, he didn't have time to question it now, he glanced down at his watch, she was right, 'let's go Rhodes.'

The three of them raced down the same corridors from which they came, 'new career?' Tony asked sarcastically trying to lighten the mood and push out the curiosity which grew within him.

Natasha looked at him sideways as they rounded the final corner, 'never amazes me how easy it is to fake some ID and get a job, even at such a secure facility.' She said flatly.

'Yeah, security really isn't that great these days.' He replied with a smirk.

'I found out what you were planning through a hack I placed in your system at home, so I came here to make sure you weren't disturbed, The Avengers need you, there's no way we'd let your last hope get snatched away from you.' She countered.

He frowned, the hacker got hacked.

They reached the bunker; she hurried them both inside, 'one minute to clear the grounds, go.'

Rhodey and Tony nodded to her; she shut the door and took off.

'Alright, I'll take the bag; rendezvous in twenty, meeting point two.' Rhodey confirmed as Tony crawled through the small entry and disappeared from his sight.

A breath of relief washed over Rhodey as he made his way back to his post.

'Colonel Rhodes.' A voice beamed at him from down the hall.

He looked up as casually as he could, had he been made?

'You've been working down here for hours, why don't you head home?'

Rhodey nodded, he stood up and saluted the General, 'yeah I think that might be a good idea, Sir.'

'Good work son, see you tomorrow.' He saluted and dismissed Rhodey.

He gathered his 'paperwork' and Tony's bag and bid the General a good night before heading out of the base through the front door, he passed Natasha on his way out, her disguise and ability to blend in was uncanny. She didn't even offer a glimmer of recognition in her eyes as he walked past her.

No wonder Tony didn't pick her for a spy when he first met her, despite his best friends' unnerving ability to read people, Natasha was as good, if not better than him.

He made his way to his car and drove off to meet Tony. He couldn't believe it had worked. Despite the obvious success of finding the 'cure' his chest was tight as he worried about his friend, had he gotten out, did everything go to plan, what if he had fallen ill in his escape and was captured?

Who had been trying to hack in and sabotage their mission, the questions ate away at him, he had no choice but to head to the meeting point, if Tony wasn't there, well, then he would cross that bridge should it come to that. For now he tried to push the thoughts away as far as he could, and focus only on getting to where he needed to be, meeting point two was the priority. He pressed down on the gas and sped off down the highway.

* * *

**Alright, there we go! I hope you enjoyed, please let me know what you think, I'm excited for the next couple of chapters, with some Tony whump, Pepperony and some surprise angst/misery :) You know I can't help myself!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Wow! This one is long, didn't think breaking it up would be beneficial, hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

Rhodey sat in the car under the bridge, he wanted to laugh at the 'inconspicuous' meeting point Tony had arranged. He argued that it was so obvious if anyone was following them; Tony argued it was so overt that it was covert. Rhodey finally came around and agreed, seeing his friends' logic.

His eyes darted across the horizon and the barren industrial wasteland, keeping an eye out for any movement, Tony or otherwise. His eyes had finally become accustomed to the dark surroundings and it made it easier to sit in the silent dark waiting.

He tapped his foot nervously against the accelerator, 'come on man.' He whispered.

He glanced across at the LED display in the dash, twelve fifty, he was late.

Tony was always late, why was he worried, he probably got caught up chatting to someone, or wanted to stop and grab a drink.

'Don't be ridiculous.' Rhodey scolded himself, it's the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, where would he meet someone to 'chat' to or buy a drink?

The nervous tap became an impatient one; he pulled the key out of the ignition and pushed the door open. He considered calling Pepper, or Happy. But then decided against it, he was only five minutes late. It wasn't time to panic, at least not yet. He would wait until one, if he didn't turn up by then, then he would call someone. Who would he call? He could already imagine the horror in Peppers voice, or the concern in Happy's. But if he waited until one, it could already be too late. No, don't think like that, it's only ten minutes away. So he stuffed the keys into his pocket and got back into the car.

The warmth inside the cabin was a much more pleasant feeling as opposed to the harsh wind and cold outside. He glanced at the in dash clock again, twelve fifty-five.

'Come on, come on.' He whispered.

He squinted and tried to focus harder on the distant buildings, they were a hundred or so feet away at least, he wished he had brought his night vision binoculars. There was nothing he could do about that now, he leaned closer to the window and noticed a small, almost imagined movement in the far left corner of his peripheral vision. He turned his head and forced his eyes to focus. That was definitely a movement, his fingers instinctively found the weapon under his seat, the touching comfort was all he needed, he waited and waited. Moments later a small sequential flash alerted him that it was indeed Tony. He closed his eyes in relief, the signal.

He pulled the keys out of his pocket and turned the car on, he waited for a few minutes before driving toward the road, his passenger quickly jumped into the car and Rhodey sped off.

'What kept you?' Rhodey asked not looking at him, 'you're late.' He felt slightly agitated at having worried.

'Just a snag.' Tony replied in a breathless whisper.

Rhodey continued driving, meeting point three. The drive was silent, save for the raspy breathing beside him. He glanced over at Tony briefly; the man looked like he had been through hell. He looked injured, but he couldn't spot any obvious signs of injury.

'You ok?' Rhodey asked finally breaking the silence.

'Yeah.' He breathed.

'What happened?' Rhodey asked quietly.

Tony cleared his throat, 'nothing, just time for the shot.'

Rhodey nodded, of course, why didn't he think of that, he reached into the storage compartment in the door, Tony had made him take the syringe and a vial of liquid should he need it again.

He pulled over under a street light, he prepped the injection and looked over at Tony.

The color in his face was completely gone, he looked like he had lost a battle with a soul sucker.

He didn't ask if he was ready this time, he didn't need to, he knew what needed to be done, he swabbed his neck and plunged the needle into his skin.

Tony flinched slightly, the ever present burn still shocked him each time.

Moments later, he seemed to be better, 'alright?'

He nodded, 'thanks.'

'Alright, what's the plan?' Rhodey looked at him.

'Meeting point three.' Tony instructed.

Rhodey looked over at him, 'are you sure, if we've been compromised-'

'-We don't have a choice.' Tony interrupted, 'we have to do it, then that's it.'

'Don't you have the formula, the cure?' Rhodey asked.

Tony shook his head, 'it's only one part of what I need, if I don't get the rest, I can't do anything with this.'

'Ok, Tony.' Rhodey nodded, he pulled back onto the road and they continued in silence.

Tony closed his eyes and leaned back against the head rest, the splitting headache didn't go away this time, in fact, the temporary cure worked less and less, he didn't say anything, he didn't think he needed to.

Rhodey saw it, he saw his friend suffer, and he saw the pain in his face as he lay against the chair with a constant grimace painted on his features.

He didn't wake him, he needed the rest, and there was nothing more important than succeeding tonight.

Rhodey drove down the highway, trying to ignore the soft whimpers coming from his passenger; he glanced at him every so often. Pepper said he was plagued by nightmares, but he still didn't expect this. The pain he was in was real, the nightmares crossed over into his waking world, the Extremis virus was eating away at his mind, and the dreams came harder and much worse than they had before.

He shook his head; he tried to focus on the road.

A small glimmer of a light in the rear view mirror caught his attention; he focused on the dots of light.

It was a public highway, but at this time of night, other cars were highly unlikely, the dreariness washed away immediately as his alertness to the company on the dark highway grew.

He sped up, constantly checking the rear view mirror; the lights grew as the car came closer and closer.

'Tony, Tony.' He gently shook his friends shoulder.

Tony woke with a start, 'what, what's going on?' he looked confused.

'We've got company.' Rhodey muttered as he switched gears and increased the speed.

Tony rubbed his face and turned around to look through the back window, 'how long have they been on us?'

'Ten maybe fifteen minutes.' Rhodey answered.

'Are you sure they're following us?' Tony asked looking back at Rhodey, 'it could just be another car.'

Rhodey shot him a sideways glance, 'are you serious?' he retorted, 'you, who doesn't believe in coincidence,' he glanced back at the mirror, 'just after someone tried to hack into the military security feeds at the exact time we were there, and now there's a car on an usually deserted highway speeding up behind us, and you're saying that, seriously?'

Tony nodded, 'just trying to think positive sour patch.'

Rhodey rolled his eyes, 'don't call me that, and thank you for the positive thinking, but this could be bad.'

'Agreed, someone must be tracing the link.' Tony took the laptop from the bag on the back seat, he plugged in the flash drive and brought up the file he had downloaded, 'yep, someone's trying to hack the link.'

'What does that mean?' Rhodey asked quickly.

Tony glanced over his shoulder, the car was definitely gaining speed, 'it means that whoever our guest was back at the base knows what I've got here and they obviously want it as much as I do.'

Rhodey watched as Tony countered the attack on his files, the Tony who woke up from the painful nightmares was completely gone, and instead the man who sat beside him was full of determined energy. He had no idea how he did it.

'You're good, but you're not that good.' Tony smirked as he successfully shut the encryption hack down.

Rhodey looked over at him, 'what happened?'

'I've blocked the access, they can't break in.' Tony answered, he swiftly turned to look at the fast approaching car, 'but that doesn't mean they won't try to get the hard copy.'

They looked at each other, 'call Romanov.' Rhodey suggested.

Tony retrieved his phone from his pocket, 'keep heading north, there should be a gas station coming up, pull over there, when I'm out, you keep driving.'

'No, Tony, I'm not leaving you here.' Rhodey snapped.

'_You_ need to get this back to my house,' he grabbed to flash drive and held it out to Rhodey, 'make sure this is safe, I can do the rest.'

'What's the use of that if you're dead?' Rhodey spat, he pressed down on the accelerator and drove faster and faster, the lights of the gas station coming into view.

'Because it's out of the wrong hands now, if anything happens to me, get that to Pepper, she'll know what to do.'

The panic of the situation was evident between them. Rhodey looked to Tony once more as they neared the gas station, 'are you sure about this?'

Tony reached around to the back seat; he pulled forward the case with his armour, 'I'm sure, just get yourself out.'

Rhodey slammed on the break and drifted the car around a corner into the gas station, Tony threw the door open and took cover behind the building. The other car rounded the corner and screeched to a halt. As Rhodey slammed on the accelerator and sped off, he noticed the flashes of gun fire in the rear view mirror.

'Christ Tony.' He muttered, he felt that pang of guilt and fear prick at his heart, his hand hovered over his cell phone, he needed to tell Pepper, but Tony would kill him if he walked out of this, _if_ he walked out of it. He swallowed hard. He raised the phone and dialled Natasha's number.

Tony shielded his eyes form the sparks which flew around his head as the bullets ricocheted against the corner of the building.

He took a chance and sprinted along the side of the building, the armour assembled itself around him whilst he ran.

'Jarvis, I need the feeds from the cameras in this area.' He breathed as the faceplate finally shut.

Now that he was armoured he felt marginally better.

'Mr Stark, you've taken something which belongs to us.' A rough voice beamed across the still night, the gunfire had ceased.

He took a deep breath, 'ever heard the tale of Robin Hood?'

The voice responded with a shrill laugh, 'well, Mr Stark, if that's the road you're going down, then shouldn't you be offering something of yours to the less fortunate?'

'I've given my life, numerous times; I think we can call it even.' Tony retorted.

'Sarcasm to mask fear, very nice.' The man laughed again.

'Jarvis, feeds.' He hissed, he _was _afraid, but that wouldn't stop him, 'guns are a little out dated, don't you think?'

'Right you are, Mr Stark, perhaps something a little newer, a little more _you_?'

Before Tony could ponder his question he heard a high pitched noise crash through him. He fell to his knees trying to clutch his ears, but the armour was in his way.

'Does this meet Stark approval?' The voice beamed through his suit.

'Jarvis, how is he doing that?' He stammered through clenched teeth.

'It appears that my systems and protocols have been overridden, complete system override of the remote access points.'

'Only the armour?' Tony cried out in agony.

'Yes sir, remote shut down will cause me to lose signal to you at base.' Jarvis replied.

Tony yelled out again, 'shut it down!'

'Shutting me out isn't going to solve your problem.' The man laughed again.

'Jarvis, shut it down!' Tony repeated.

Tony's breath caught in his chest, this was a catastrophic security breach, no one had ever come close to hacking Jarvis the way this guy had.

'Sir, all contact will be lost.'

Tony grit his teeth, 'do it!'

An instant silence washed over him, he dropped his arms by his side.

He shook his head, 'good plan Stark.' He muttered to himself.

'Not bad, not bad at all, remotely shutting everything down.' The man yelled, 'countering my remote hack?'

Tony gathered his strength and found his legs again, he rounded the corner.

The man who belonged to the voice stood in the middle of the gas station driveway, his arms outstretched, beckoning Tony to him. A large, jagged scar ran from his left eye down across his top lip. The dark coat he wore was similar to that of Fury's. His dark hair blended into the night, he smiled with perfectly white teeth.

The man looked at Tony with a smug grin, 'now that you've shut your AI out, doesn't that mean you've got no contact with anyone right now?' He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets.

Tony raised his face plate, 'who are you?'

The man smirked, 'I am Dragon.'

The Asian man began to walk toward Tony; his men stood their ground as Tony stepped backwards. His men wore dark, hooded coats similar to Dragons, but their faces were hidden and he didn't see any weapons, but he felt the powerful surge of whatever weapon it was they used against him.

_More you…_what did that mean? Was it a weapon someone in his company had created without his knowledge? No, it couldn't be, had they modified one of his previous designs? It felt a lot like the neuron stabiliser Obi had used on him. No, no one could bypass any of his security now, not since he upped the surveillance of all his systems after Obadiah's betrayal.

'Mr Stark, this doesn't have to be any more painful than it's already been for you.' Dragon spoke with a quiet certainty.

Tony looked at the man intently, 'the men who took Pepper were yours?'

He smiled, 'indeed, not my proudest moment.'

Tony cocked his head, 'not your brightest moment either.'

This moron nearly cost him Pepper, it nearly cost him his own life, he grit his teeth. Finally a face was put to the evil.

One of his men stepped forward; he lowered his hood, Rick. Tony swallowed hard, he was going to kill him first, and then deal with this guy.

Dragon held his hand out, as if presenting Rick, 'the man who brought Tony Stark to his knees.'

'The man who will soon have Tony Stark's knee in his face.' Tony bit back.

They laughed, 'well Mr Stark, I'm sorry it had to come to this, we really only ever wanted one thing.'

Tony nodded, 'well you can't have it.'

'Oh Tony, Tony, Tony, you disappoint me.' Dragon said in a condescending tone.

'Well, glad I'm living up to my reputation.' Tony smirked.

'You're going to give _me_ what I want; perhaps Rick here wasn't persuasive enough.' He drew his hands together and smiled.

Tony's blood boiled, he _was_ persuasive, so much so he laid his life down to protect Pepper. He chewed his bottom lip, whatever they threw at him, at least he had his armour and at least he could fight back. The flash drive was safe and out of reach.

'Why don't you come and get it?' Tony challenged.

Without further threats Dragon slammed his fists together and a glowing ball of energy started to form around his hands, Tony stepped backward bracing himself, Dragon threw his hands toward Tony and the ball of energy exploded and impacted with Tony. He ignited the repulsors and steadied himself.

Tony felt the heat radiate through the suit, he readied his palm repulsors and hit him with it.

Dragon dodged the beams, so Tony hit him again and again, eventually it made contact with the man and he flew backwards.

He had no Jarvis, no way to know what damage the suit had sustained. The heat which continued to radiate throughout was a bad sign, before he could assess the further impact it had on him, Dragon threw another beam of energy at him.

Tony stammered backwards as the beam made contact with his chest, a sharp pang of pain ripped through his chest. Whatever energy this was, worked a lot like his unibeam did.

And if that was the case Tony knew how bad the pain in his chest was, the energy was working off a magnetic field, the opposite to what his was. Dragons shot to his chest had impacted the reactor, it caused an antimagnetic spin.

He took short, sharp gasps as he prepared the next wave of attacks on him.

'You're not going to walk away from this Stark.' Rick yelled over the chaos which buzzed through Tony's head.

He ignored him as much as he could, he ignited the repulsors and flew up into the sky, without a proper damage report he couldn't risk flying for a long period of time, he changed his mind, he took off back to the ground, he directed the power to the chest beam, before he could fire it, Dragon hit him with yet another beam to the chest, he fell to the ground, crashing into the earth below he clenched his eyes shut as his head slammed into the helmet, he lay in a heap on the floor, his chest ached, his head ached, and he couldn't breathe. Good plan Stark.

'I told you that you're not walking away from this, why do you insist on putting yourself through all this?'

He saw Dragon standing above him.

He sucked in the air as best as he could, his body refused to do what was necessary to live.

'Tell me where the formula is, and we'll end this quickly.' Dragon knelt beside him.

Tony wanted to laugh, no bargains for his life. This man didn't care whether Tony lived or died.

He couldn't answer him; he lay in silence looking up through tear filled eyes.

Dragon rolled his eyes, 'why is this always so difficult?' he muttered before placing a hand on Tony's mask.

The pain ripped through his body and gargled scream escaped his lips, the heat intensified inside the suit, he noticed the edges of the faceplate spark up before it flew off his face.

He looked up at the man kneeling beside him with wide eyes; he was met with a satisfied smirk.

'How did I do that?' He anticipated Tony's question, he rubbed his fingertips together on his right hand and a smaller ball of energy formed in the palm of his hand.

'You see Mr Stark, I am the final decedent from a long line of Chinese healers, this is just a little taste of what I can do,' he marvelled at the energy flickering in his palm, 'it's been modified by the Extremis, but it's not complete, and I need it to be complete Mr Stark.' He looked down at Tony and pressed the ball of energy against Tony's forehead.

He screamed, the agony pierced his mind and then it was gone.

_He ran toward the sound of the screams, he ran as fast as he could, but it seemed that the closer he got, the farther her voice sounded. Pepper! Pepper! He yelled looking for her, the burning building collapsed around him as he ran, Pepper! He screamed for her, she only replied with agonising, painful cries. He pushed his body harder and faster, finally it paid off, he rounded a corner and found her, she was kicking and screaming under the weight of a man who was pushing himself against her harder and harder. Her hands were covered in blood as she scratched and clawed at him, but he didn't let go, he didn't stop. Tony could see the pain and fear in her eyes, her pleading for help, pleading for _him_ to help her, he couldn't move, he couldn't get to her. His feet remained glued to the ground, Pepper! The man pushed harder and harder against Peppers weak body, breaking her, killing her, her clothes lay in tatters around her as her milky skin grew redder and redder as her own blood tainted her, No! Pepper! He screamed for her, the life from her eyes faded as she looked to him pleading for help which never came. Pepper!_

Tony gasped for breath, he looked around, the flames, the heat, it was gone, Pepper! He sucked in the breaths, ignoring the screaming pain from his body.

He looked up at Dragon, his grin made Tony's breath hitch.

'That was just a little taste Mr Stark.' He said softly so that only he could hear him.

That wasn't real, what was he? How could he plant images into his mind like that? He swallowed hard, 'The Extremis.' He managed.

Dragon nodded, 'exactly, amplifies what I need it to, just like what you did, only I didn't get the boosted version like yours.'

Tony couldn't believe it, if he could inflict pain through his mind the same way Tony could control electrical currents with his mind, there was no telling what damage he could do with the full dose. He looked at him with wide eyes, whatever magical power of the mind this man possessed was powerful, the Extremis, even in it the flawed dose he received, made him lethal. Tony cringed at the thought of what could be done if he got the formula, he would become unstoppable, magic boosted by science.

There was no way he could let them get this, especially not now. They knew his weakness, they knew what hurt him.

'If you don't help us, I will kill you, and then I will make sure that little scenario comes to light, and you won't be around to do anything about it.'

He was injured, he was without Jarvis, he sent Rhodey away, and Natasha, nor S.H.I.E.L.D knew what was happening, _think Tony, use that genius mind of yours to fix this mess, _ he looked up at him helplessly, there was nothing he could do. He failed whatever he did.

He closed his eyes, 'don't hurt her,' he pleaded; he couldn't see any way out.

'Give me the formula and I won't have to.' Dragon said quietly, he lay his palm on Tony's forehead again.

The pain and heat burned through him like a flame, he yelled out, begging for it to stop.

'Ok, you're telling me the truth, get him up.' He motioned to his men.

Tony was dragged up to his feet by three men, Rick stood before him with a grin.

'Should have given me what I needed, it would have been a lot easier.' Rick said flatly.

'Can't live in regret.' Tony said simply.

A dry laugh escaped Rick's lips; he shook his head, 'I'm not sure Pepper would feel the same.'

Tony's eyes shot up, he couldn't bear hearing him say her name, he knew what he meant. He dropped his head, he was so exhausted.

'Bring him to the front.' Dragon motioned to his men.

Rick must have been somewhat of a right hand man, he didn't get orders like the others did.

Tony looked around as they dragged him to the front of the service station.

His eyes widened with horror as one of his men dragged the gas station attendant out before them.

Dragon laughed as the older man was pushed to his knees.

He pleaded, his eyes darted from Tony to Dragon, to the other men around him.

'Please, I have family.' He begged.

Tony's couldn't look away from him, he swallowed hard.

'A demonstration.' Dragon held his hands out, 'to inspire you.'

Before Tony could blink, he had brought his palms together again and created another glowing ball of energy.

'Don't do this.' Tony heard himself say.

Dragon didn't turn around; instead he slowly stepped toward the struggling man. His eyes wide with horror.

'Please Iron Man, I have family, don't let them kill me.' He screamed.

'Stop this!' Tony yelled.

Dragon continued walking toward the horrified man.

All that met them were laughs from the men who surrounded them, Tony couldn't help him, he couldn't help himself, he struggled against the men holding him.

'Don't worry, this will be over soon.' Dragon smirked at the man on the ground.

He pressed the ball of energy to the man's forehead, and just as Tony had before, the man collapsed to the ground in agony, he screamed and thrashed. He pleaded and cried.

'Stop it!' Tony yelled but he couldn't break free. The weight of his dead suit, and exhausted limbs jarred his movements.

Dragon remained unmoving, palm pressed firmly to the man's head.

'Stop!' Tony repeated, he couldn't watch, the man thrashed in agony, Tony sympathised, he knew how painful it was, 'please!'

Rick stepped in front of Tony and looked down at him with pity, 'the simplest weakness of a hero,' he laughed and without warning slammed his fist into Tony's jaw.

Tony's head was thrown backwards with such force he nearly lost consciousness, he felt a pool of blood well up in his mouth.

'I'm going to kill you.' He hissed up at Rick who looked down at him grinning.

Rick took another swing and met with Tony's jaw again.

He spat out the blood which was forming.

The man under Dragons touch screamed louder and louder.

Tony felt the armour become less heavy, he didn't know how, but he somehow gained control of it and mustered up enough energy to fire the unibeam from his chest, Rick and the two men holding him down were thrown away form him by the force. He felt the pain from the reactor spread through his body, _get up, _he hissed to himself.

Dragon's eyes snapped to Tony, anger flared across his face, the older man was momentarily spared.

Tony found his feet, the suit was functional again, he had no idea how much power he was running on, no idea how long the reactor would hold up before he dropped dead.

'You're beginning to agitate me now Mr Stark.' Dragon muttered through clenched teeth.

Tony managed a grin, 'what can I say, I don't follow orders well.' The palm repulsors were back online, he threw his hands up and shocked Dragon with the force at which they hit him.

He stammered backwards, Tony's chest screamed in pain, _fight it,_ he scolded himself, _keep moving_.

The older man scrambled to his knees and took refuge behind a nearby pump.

Tony looked around at the men who had their weapons drawn, guns, lots of guns. He knew his armour would protect him but it would definitely be an inconvenience.

He powered up the mini missiles and fired them, they were all taken out.

Rick got to his feet and made his way to Dragon who shook his head, 'you continue to disappoint me.'

Tony shrugged.

'You think those men meant anything to me, they're just there for looks.' Dragon said with a smirk.

He slammed his fists together and the familiar ball of energy formed. Tony's suit still wasn't flight ready he looked at him like a stunned deer in headlights. Another blast to his suit and the reactor would fail.

Before he could make a move, a blast from above slammed into Dragon; Tony looked up to the sky, S.H.I.E.L.D's jet hovered above the gas station. Dragon's body was thrown with such force Tony's couldn't see where he went.

The jet's engines kicked up the dirt around them and plunged them into blinding darkness. Tony shielded his eyes and dropped to his knees, he looked across the ground for any sign of Rick or Dragon. He couldn't see anything, he couldn't breathe, he covered his mouth in hopes of protecting himself from inhaling the debris.

Another blast from the jet above him, and another, his heart rate sped up, was this really happening, against all odds he was going to walk away from this mess, he tried to slow his breathing down.

Moments later the jet landed on the road and the dust began to settle quickly. He heard the shuffling of boots against the dusty ground coming toward him.

'Get him out of here, you three come with me.' Natasha yelled through the dust. 'Stark?'

Tony stood up slowly, his head was spinning and his chest was aching.

'Right here.' He managed through the coughing which wracked his body.

As the dust settled, his eyes rejoiced at the woman who broke through the dust, she grinned at him, 'lone gunslinger thing working for you?'

Tony laughed; despite the pain in his chest and the blinding pain in his head.

'Come on.' She motioned for him to follow; the three agents she brought with her helped him to the waiting jet.

She stood above him with her arms crossed, 'you ok?'

He looked up at her, exhaustion finally catching up with him; he nodded weakly, 'did you reboot my suit?'

She nodded, 'Rhodey told me you ran into some problems, when I couldn't get through to you and Jarvis was shut down I traced the output signal of your suit.'

'Thanks.' He breathed.

'You should have called me.' She knelt down in front of him.

He looked at her intently.

No snide remarks, no sarcastic grin, only genuine concern.

'Couldn't put others in danger, not because of my mess.' He said simply.

'You know that's what a team does, right?' She asked incredulously.

Tony smiled weakly, 'yeah, not when the mess is mine to clean up.'

She shook her head, 'your mess is our mess, we solve problems and look out for each other, that's the way it is, we take the good with the bad, why won't you let anyone help you?'

Tony opened his mouth to reply.

'And don't say because you don't want to put anyone in danger.' She interrupted.

Tony nodded, and smirked at her, 'well I _was _going to say, I want all the credit and my name in flashing lights when I do something awesome.'

She shook her head and smiled back at him, 'your name _is _in flashing lights and as much as that would have been an acceptable response from the Tony Stark I met four years ago, I don't believe that from the Tony Stark I'm looking at right now.'

Her eyes saw right through him, he sighed, he knew she was the one person he could never fool.

'You should have your own act in Vegas.' He said dryly, 'Natasha, the mind reader.'

She raised her eyebrows at him, 'sarcastic banter to hide the truth doesn't work on me.'

'I know it doesn't.' he said flatly.

'Jarvis should be up and running again,' She stood up and nodded toward the handcuffed prisoners, 'I'll see if we can get anything from his men,' Natasha playfully roughed Tony's hair, 'don't worry, we'll find them.'

Tony laughed softly, 'I know, get an extra watch on Pepper, and the house.'

She nodded, a few phone calls later and several demanding exchanges with the people on the other end of the line she smirked, 'perks of being intimidating.'

Tony laughed, 'you've got that down to a fine art.'

'Years of practice, it's the Russian influence.' She quipped, 'extra watch has been enforced on the Malibu house, and the tower in New York, Pepper will be safe.'

Tony knew she kept her word, but he couldn't help the nagging feeling which made his chest tighten and the searing pain which ripped through his body was now a dull ache, he clutched the reactor in his chest. Something definitely didn't feel right, he couldn't tell whether it was the injuries he'd sustained or something more that was worrying him.

Natasha was back beside him, she took his wrist in her hand, 'your heart is racing, we need to get you checked out.'

He nodded, he felt lightheaded and nauseous. He leaned back against the seat and tried to focus on his breathing.

'The magnetic pulse he was using threw my heart out of rhythm.' He breathed.

'An EMP?' Natasha asked still holding onto his wrist.

He shook his head weakly, 'no, this was much more powerful, it felt a lot like the neuron stabilizer, but heavily modified.'

The words coming out of his mouth sounded too surreal to be true, he closed his eyes against the pressure which threatened to render him unconscious.

'How is that even possible?' Her voice was full of concern.

'No idea, they must have had someone brilliant working for them, Dragon is powerful, but he doesn't strike me as the intellectual type.' Tony grimaced, speaking was a struggle.

'And that threw your reactor out of whack?' She asked.

'The reactor works on a specific magnetic wavelength, whatever he uses countered it.' He let out a soft groan.

'Ok, hang in there; do you need a new reactor?' She asked.

Tony nodded weakly, 'call Pepper, she'll know what to do.'

'Ok, I'll call her.' Natasha agreed.

Tony's eyes shot open, he quickly grabbed her wrist, 'escort her yourself, please.'

She nodded, 'I will, don't worry.'

He nodded weakly.

The hum of the jet was soothing, he forced himself to stay awake and Natasha did her best to keep him awake. They talked about the mission, the formula which was at the centre of it all, the men who took Pepper and the man who nearly destroyed Tony.

All he could think about was the vision Dragon had injected into his mind; the flames and the screaming, the pain, it felt so real. He knew it wasn't, but the terror which subdued him and brought him to his knees _was_ real.

If anything ever happened to Pepper because of him, because of Extremis and Iron Man, he was done. He wasn't doing this anymore. If this crusade for the greater good cost him the one thing he couldn't live without, he wasn't interested in doing it anymore.

'We're taking you to the Mercy, it'll keep S.H.I.E.L.D off your radar.' Natasha announced.

Tony nodded, good idea. He finally closed his eyes, he couldn't believe he was alive.

* * *

**Let me know what you think, I hope the fight scene there wasn't too difficult to follow...sometiems I get carried away and it becomes a little messy :)**

**As for the little naughty scene from the previous chapter, I think I will write a little more detailed version, as one of you lovely readers agreed :)**


	38. Chapter 38

**Thank you for your wonderful reviews :) So much more is on it's way and I'm really excited! It's nearly all going to be action packed and incredibly Pepperony after this chapter!**

* * *

Her heart sunk, every time the phone rung when Tony was away she felt her chest constrict and the nausea washed over her instantly.

She took a deep breath and answered the call.

Tears sprung to her eyes as soon as she heard Natasha's overly cool voice on the other end, she was on her way and would meet her at the house in ten minutes.

Without hesitation Pepper sprinted downstairs to the workshop, keyed in her access code and made her way to the hidden, inbuilt safe. She pressed her palm against the panel in the wall and it opened up revealing an arc reactor.

She pulled it out of the case, careful not to damage it; she laid it in the specially crafted suitcase and slammed it shut.

_Damn it Tony, you said this would be over_; she ignored the stray tears which fell as she rushed through the house and down the driveway to Natasha's waiting car.

They sped off down the highway silently; road rules didn't matter, not when Tony's life hung in the balance, _again, _she bit back the tears and anger.

They took Tony to the Mercy hospital this time, Pepper shook her head, that meant he was doing this off the books, he didn't tell S.H.I.E.L.D, which meant Natasha was working off the books too.

She knew that in a way, she was his guardian angel, in black leather and guns strapped to her thighs. On more than one occasion she had been there when Tony needed someone, she knew he would never ask for help, and she thanked whichever God was out there, looking out for him, that Natasha showed up when she did.

They came to a halt in front of the _Emergency_ entry to the hospital; Happy met them with a weak nod. He got in the car and drove it away to park. Pepper rushed through the all too familiar hallways, pushing through the crowd which had gathered. Natasha fell behind to give her some privacy and manage crowd control.

Tony was a celebrity, as soon as anyone caught wind of Iron Man being involved, they arrived in troves, barricading themselves against the doors, thrusting their cameras and recorders in her face as she tried to hold herself together, and keep the calm demeanour she was known for.

This time was different; she had no strength left to hold up the façade which she normally donned so well, the hallways were littered with reporters. It was nearly four in the morning; how did these people even find out?

She made no effort to hide the tears which she knew fell obviously as she walked through the flashes of their cameras. Her world was spinning around her in slow motion, her heart beat echoed in her head, please be ok Tony.

The surgeon met her in a private room, she recognised him as a S.H.I.E.L.D certified doctor, they trusted him to keep Tony's secret, and protect The Avengers. Pepper shook his hand as he explained the intricacies of Tony's injuries. She looked at him with a blank expression, his heart had suffered a lot of damage and the magnetic pulse which nearly killed him had thrown his heart out of rhythm. She swallowed hard. The case with the reactor burned like a lump of coal against her lap, a constant reminder of the ever present vulnerability he faced. Would this even help? She forced herself to push away the negative thoughts; she couldn't afford to think like that.

'Have you got the replacement arc?' The doctor asked her gently.

She nodded and wordlessly held up the case.

He noticed her blank expression, 'he'll be alright, a lot of people experience arrhythmia of the heart, and it's very treatable Miss Potts.'

She nodded, 'I need to get this to him.'

The doctor got up and led her to Tony's room. She gently pushed the door open, he looked up at her with a weak smile, she was glad to see he was awake, the tightness in her chest eased up slightly.

The doctor left them alone and Pepper took a seat beside Tony.

'Let me change that for you.' She reached up under his shirt, he flinched slightly, 'I'm sorry, did I hurt you?' She gasped.

He shook his head softly, 'no, tickled.'

She smiled weakly, 'sorry.'

He took hold of her hand as she reached up for the reactor, 'I'm sorry,' he whispered.

Her gaze remained on the feint glow of the failing reactor, her tears flowed silently, she was weak, she was tired and completely emotionally drained, she felt his hand on her cheek, he raised her face so that their eyes could meet.

'Hey, I'm really sorry.' He whispered, 'but I'm ok, see?'

She shrugged his hand away and nodded; she took her hand from his grip and reached for the reactor again. She chewed her bottom lip as she worked silently replacing it with the new one, she grimaced at the pain she saw in his eyes, every touch made him wince. She sighed heavily as she clicked it into place and watched the blue light come to life. The gentle whir was the only sound between them.

His eyes bore through her, 'Pepper.'

She took his hand in hers and kissed it, 'I need to take care of something.'

Without another word she left him alone, finally letting the breath she was holding escape. She leaned against the closed door and pressed her hand to her face.

Natasha cleared her throat gently as she approached her, 'is there anything I can do?'

Pepper looked up at her, 'take me home please.'

She nodded, 'I'll call Happy.'

There were so many things she wanted to say, and ask, but she didn't.

Happy avoided looking at her, Natasha must have advised him, and she mentally thanked her.

'I've got men on the house, you'll be safe.' Natasha noted as Pepper walked into the mansion.

The silent house was still in the night; her own shallow breaths broke through the cold which surrounded her.

She felt horrible for the way her exchange went with Tony; but she couldn't find the strength to speak, or anything else for that matter.

She made her way upstairs and crawled into bed, he was safe, at least she knew that.

* * *

'You're going to have to do a lot of grovelling and a lot of making up for that stint you pulled last night.' Happy said flatly as he helped Tony to the waiting car.

The look on Pepper's face didn't leave his mind at all, sleep didn't welcome him, and he knew there was so much he would have to do to make up for this. His stupidity had put her through this, justify it as much as he wanted, there was nothing which would make her feel better, he knew that, but he would try, because she was worth everything and more to him.

'Stop by the florist, please Happy.' His voice sounded hoarse and it made him cringe.

'Flowers aren't going to fix this Tony.' Happy chimed in.

'I didn't ask for your opinion.' Tony said flatly.

'Well I'm giving it to you buddy, so listen up.' Happy said firmly.

Tony rolled his eyes and looked out at ocean as they drove home.

'Pepper loves you more than you can imagine boss, she works harder than anyone I know to make things happen, to keep your company going.'

Tony listened.

'She sits at home and worries herself sick when you're gone, and when you're here she worries even more, you come home beat up and broken, she tells me you sleep for an hour at the most and then you work yourself to the point of passing out.'

Tony's chest tightened, he was right.

'Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch you do that to yourself?' He looked back at Tony through the rear view mirror, 'it's not just Pepper, we all worry about you, and then you go out and do this, what are you trying to prove?'

Tony cleared his throat and looked down at his hands, he felt like a child being scolded by his parents for acting out at school.

'I know there's a lot going on in there, I'm not expecting an autobiography of your life Tony, I'm asking as a friend, whatever it is you're battling with, it's not working, you're not coping and Pepper is going crazy worrying about you, it isn't fair on her, or you.'

Tony finally nodded, 'you're right.'

'Just work this out, you two are meant to be together, tell her what's going on and she'll be your rock.' Happy said with a smile.

He pulled into the florist. Tony ordered a bunch of flowers through Happy, while he was paying the woman, she tried to sneak a peek through the tinted windows of the Bentley; Tony shielded his face, he didn't need media hype around this aspect of his life.

'Anything else boss?' Happy asked as they pulled onto the highway.

'No, just head home.' Tony turned his attention to the world outside.

The drive was painfully long, he was relieved when Happy finally pulled into the driveway and let Tony out; he gave him a knowing nod and watched as the broken man walked solemnly to his house. He had never seen anyone so hollow, he felt for him, but there was nothing that he could do to help, this was something he needed to work out with Pepper.

Tony walked through the front door clutching the flowers to his chest, 'Pepper?'

No reply…

'Pep?'

Nothing…

He didn't expect her to answer him, he knew she was home, Jarvis told him she was sleeping, he didn't blame her. He would pretend to be sleeping too. God he was a jerk.

He placed the flowers on the piano and sat down. Music, of any kind, soothed him.

* * *

She hesitantly made her way downstairs; each agonising step brought her closer to the worst thing she was ever going to do. She heard the piano, she heard him.

As she got closer, the music got louder and louder, the melody was beautiful. The notes carried through the air, her heart pounded in her chest threatening to break through her body, she could barely walk. The wall was all that held her up. When she finally reached the landing at the foot of the stairs, the music stopped. Tony turned to face her.

His smile faded as soon as their eyes connected. Horror at the look on her face was all he could focus on.

He stood up and rushed over to her, 'Pepper what happened, what's wrong?'

She held her hand out to stop him, 'don't.' she managed a broken word.

'Pepper you're scaring me, what happened.' He tried to take hold of her hand. His heart raced, what the hell was going on? 'I know I messed up Pep.' He moved to take her hand.

'Don't touch me!' She screamed, everything he did was making this harder if that were even possible.

He stammered backwards, 'Pep?' He didn't understand.

'Don't, don't talk.' She shoved the envelope into his hands before he could stall her.

He looked at it and then back at her, she couldn't control her crying anymore.

'What is this?' He whispered, his eyes locked onto hers, trying to understand.

'Resignation.' She whispered as she swallowed against the bile in the back of her throat.

He looked down at the tear stained mess in his hands and then back up hat her, is pleading eyes welled up, 'I don't understand.' He choked out.

'No, you don't, that's the point, _you_ don't understand _anything_!' She spat.

He dropped the letter and shook his head, 'no, I don't because we talk about things; we don't just throw them away like this.' He said louder this time.

'Well, then, you should be able to work it out yourself, you're a genius aren't you?' She yelled back.

This had become a shouting match.

'What do you want from me Pepper?' He cried, 'I _love_ you, more than anything, we need to talk about this.'

She shook her head, 'no, no Tony, all these constant Iron Man threats, the secrets and the lies, I can't do this, this whole relationship is a joke!' She couldn't think, 'you nearly died, _again_, you are completely reckless!' Despite the anger, she cried uncontrollably.

'I, I'm so sorry, Pepper I _had_ to, they were going to kill you.' He stepped closer to her trying to take hold of her hand.

She stepped back to avoid his touch, 'did you honestly think that this would work?'

He looked at her incredulously, 'yes, Pepper I did, because I love you.' He said firmly, 'I _do, _I _do _think this can work.' He corrected.

She turned from him and tried to catch her breath. She knew that the world needed Iron Man, but she needed Tony Stark, and she naively believed she could have him; she pulled the ring off her finger.

She turned around and faced him once more and handed it to him.

He looked at her with wide eyes, tears streamed down his cheeks openly as did hers.

'I'll send someone to pick my things up.' She choked out.

She pushed past him; she didn't have anything else to say. She rushed outside slamming the door behind her.

Tony stood stunned, feet glued to the floor, he shook his head, he couldn't believe this was happening, he knew she was angry and he knew he would have to work hard to earn her forgiveness, but this, he never expected this.

He finally found his legs again, 'Pepper stop!' He yelled as he ran after her, he finally caught up and tried to pull her back.

She ripped her arm out of his, but he caught her wrist with his other hand.

Pepper turned around and swung as hard as she could and slapped him across the face.

He stammered backwards momentarily, his wide eyes broke her, 'please, Pepper don't do this, I can change I can fix this, whatever you want, please!' he yelled as he tried to take her hand again.

She pulled away, 'don't touch me.' She pleaded, she didn't want to hear anymore, 'just leave me alone!' she yelled.

Before he could stall her again, she rushed away from him and into the waiting cab. She didn't know where she was going, all she knew was that she needed to be anywhere away from here and away from him.

He looked on as the cab sped away, and _she _sped away from him.

She planned this, she left the hospital and went home knowing that _this_ is what she was going to do...

_**Fifteen minutes earlier…**_

Tears poured out of her eyes, she couldn't control them anymore. Rick's drawn gun was inches away from her face, she could smell the led. The other man, she recognised by Natasha's description as Dragon, stood in the corner of the room with a laptop and several cables protruding from Jarvis' control panel in the wall. Tony had called earlier, and the now hacked Jarvis replied telling him that she was sleeping, there would be no reason for Tony to doubt it, so he came home, never knowing what was waiting for him.

'Tell him you're leaving or watch him die,' Rick said with a smirk, he held a small remote in his other hand, 'live or die, live or die.' He waved the remote in front of her face.

'No, please don't make me do this.' Pepper pleaded.

'Your choice Pepper, watch him live thinking you hate him, or let him die knowing you love him.' He waved the remote before her again.

'Why are you doing this?' She screamed, her pleas were lost in his satisfied smirk.

'He made my life difficult Miss Potts, so I'm returning the favour.' He laughed sadistically as Dragon continued typing away never once meeting her gaze.

Pepper looked down at the screen of the tablet Rick handed her, it showed Tony walking through the door; he clutched a large bouquet of flowers to his chest, her heart broke. Oh god.

'I can't, please don't make me do this.' She pleaded to the unforgiving man.

He smiled, 'I'm giving you a choice, and it's up to you what you chose to do.'

'No!' She screamed again.

'Time is running out.' He said softly.

She looked at the screen; Tony made his way into the living room, _'Pepper?' _

He called for her again, '_Pep'_

She couldn't reply.

She watched on as he laid the flowers on the piano. He sat down and began playing. The same haunting melody as last time reverberated throughout the house, the sound cascaded through the walls. Pepper looked at Rick's grinning face.

'Tick tock.' He teased.

She slowly found her legs and stammered to the door. She clutched her hand over the engagement ring as her tears freely pouring over her cheeks.

'Don't forget this.' He held out an envelope.

* * *

**Aww yeah, loving the agst! I'm loving even more how the next few chapters will portay Tony's anger at Rick and Dragon and a heap load of action/fight sequences :)**


	39. Chapter 39

**Thank you so much for your support and patience with this piece, I'm so relieved to see people leaving reviews and letting me know how it's going, it really does help when you're finding yourself unable to focus and write! So thank you so much :)**

* * *

Tony stood in the cold, the rain had begun to fall and the sky had opened up. He looked up at the world which was cruelly mocking him.

He was still in shock, what the hell just happened?

The ring grew heavy in his hand; the ruby was still warm from Pepper's touch. He had no idea what happened now he stuffed the ring in his pocket and clenched his hand shut.

His eyes stung with the continuously forming tears, what was he supposed to do now? He pulled his phone out of his pocket; he felt the onslaught of an incredibly drunk night coming on. Even though she wasn't here, or ever would be again, he didn't want to resort to _that_ Tony.

'Rhodey, she's gone.' He heard himself mutter as his best friend questioned him with a cautious voice, whatever miniscule ounce of composure he retained flittered away as the words left his mouth. He dropped the phone and leaned against the door; he slid down and fell into a crumpled heap.

He dropped his head into his hands, he couldn't remember how long ago he took a dose of the 'temporary cure' or what he could even do now, their mission was a failure, he never got to meeting point three, he never got the second part of the formula. He shook his head, none of that mattered now anyway, she was the only reason he fought for it. She was the only reason he came back from Afghanistan, she was his only reason for breathing and living.

Nausea flooded through his body, spots started appearing across his vision, whatever was happening was coming fast, and he didn't care.

Drink, all he wanted was a drink… to hell with not being the old Tony, the old Tony lived up to expectations people had of him, they expected him to fail, and that's what he did. The new Tony was riddled with flaws which people _expected _him to overcome overnight, the new Tony cared too much and it hurt.

He got to his feet and made his way into the house; he slowly made his way across to the small bar where he displayed his alcohol. An intricately designed bottle of cognac caught his attention, he was saving this for their wedding, he leaned heavily against the cabinet and watched helplessly as his breath fogged up the glass. He realised then how hot he must be, the fever was already spiking, _at least the alcohol would be fast acting._

'Time for a drink Mr Stark?'

Tony froze, he didn't need to turn around, he knew who it was he just didn't know how the hell he got into his house, his heart sunk. He was weak and he was probably going to die soon anyway. He didn't have much to live for now. He nodded as he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection, he smiled sadly, 'care for a glass?' he held up the bottle.

A small laugh from Dragon carried across the room, 'I don't mind if I do.'

Tony poured three glasses and made his way to the couch with his own.

With a heavy sigh he began drinking the familiar, welcoming liquid.

Alcohol and his failing mind was a great combination, he looked up at the two unwelcome guests in his house, drinking his alcohol.

Sip after sip, sweet burn after sweet burn, his eyes grew wearier and the nausea was replaced by blissful peace. He looked down at the empty glass.

He looked up at Dragon, 'you going to kill me?'

Dragon finished off his glass and placed it on the table before him, 'no need Mr Stark, you know as well as I do that you're going to die soon.' He looked at his watch, 'in about an hour or so, am I right?'

A splitting pain shot through Tony's head forcing him to drop the glass, it shattered around his feet.

'I'll take that as a yes,' he mocked, 'but before you get your peaceful way out, I still need a little information from you,' he walked over to Tony, 'don't worry, it'll be over quickly.' He whispered as he stepped behind Tony and placed his hand on his forehead.

Tony's eyes remained focussed on Rick who stood before him with a smug grin, he focussed his hatred and anger on his face, the pain which seared through his mind was agony. He fought with every ounce of strength; every ounce of will to use the Extremis and what was left of his mind to protect Pepper. They could never know what his plan was, and how he was going to complete the virus, they could never know that she had the crucial piece on the flash drive.

'This isn't working.' Dragon hissed, 'he's blocking me somehow.'

Tony's face broke into a weak smirk, 'sorry, not going to be that easy, I'll be dead soon and you'll be screwed.'

Dragon pulled Tony's head back and pressed his palm to his forehead again, 'I _will_ get what I came here for.'

Tony felt the blinding pain wash over him, his head felt like it was going to explode and he hoped that it came swiftly.

Dragons hand quickly left his face, he opened his eyes and focussed on what Rick was looking at, Rhodey, no, what was he doing here? _He _called him when Pepper left, why did he have to call him? Now he was in danger for a lost cause.

Rick made a move to the door, gun drawn while Dragon stood beside Tony, guarding his prize.

'Tony?' Rhodey pushed the front door open, the darkened house was silent. There was no familiar music or Tony and Pepper banter, 'Tony?' he called out again.

'Colonel Rhodes has come over to play!' An unfamiliar voice boomed through the house.

Rhodey's gaze shot toward the voice, he took shelter behind a pillar and instinctively drew his weapon, his heart raced, where the hell was Tony? What did they do to him? And Pepper's gone? What did _that_ mean? He peeked around the corner.

'The more the merrier, don't be shy!' The voice echoed around him.

He looked around the corner again and was met by a gun in his face.

'Come on James, don't be a sour patch.' He laughed holding the gun steady to Rhodey's face.

His jaw hardened, 'what did you do to them?' Rhodey tried to keep his voice calm; his eyes finally fell on Tony's hunched figure on the couch and the man standing beside him.

Tony could see the confusion in his face.

'I just planted the seed, they did everything themselves.' He laughed now stepping forward into the light.

'What did you do to him?' Rhodey yelled.

'Why don't you find out?' The man cocked his gun, before he could fire, Rhodey had the upper hand, being a trained professional, he swiftly went for the weapon, the man didn't let go and Rhodey used this to his advantage, he pulled his arm toward the other man and forced him to pull the trigger.

The other man went down with a clean shot to the shoulder; Rhodey slammed his elbow into the first man's face with as much force as he could muster. He finally released the weapon as he fell to the ground clutching his face.

Rhodey quickly picked the gun up and ducked keeping low to the ground as he sprinted across the room toward Tony.

'Tony!' He called out in the dark; the glow of the arc reactor was alarmingly dim.

Tony raised his head slightly, 'hey.' He whispered softly.

Rhodey dropped to his knees beside his friend, he looped his arm under Tony and lifted him up, 'come on buddy, we need to get out of here.'

He dragged him down into the workshop as gently as he could, 'you're going to be ok, stay with me.'

He breathed heavily as hundreds of questions ran through his head, how would they get out of this, who could he call to help, where was Pepper? He pushed the access code into the door and dragged Tony inside, he pushed the button and the door slid closed.

They would be coming to get Tony as soon as they could, he had to think fast and work even faster.

He pushed Tony into the couch and took hold of his wrist; his pulse was weak, barely detectable.

'Tony, what happened?' He asked looking into his eyes, he was barely there, his eyes looked as though they were staring away into the distance, 'where's Pepper, is she ok?'

Tony's eyes snapped back to focus on Rhodey, 'she left me.' He managed.

'Left?' Rhodey shook him, 'Tony, what happened?'

Tony's head lolled forward, he struggled with everything inside him to stay awake, he reached into his pocket and pulled the ring out, his hand dropped by his side.

Rhodey reached down for his hand and looked back at Tony.

'She left, she left me, she left.' Tony's words were slurred.

'Christ, I'm so sorry Tony.' He leaned in and wrapped his arm around his shoulder; he saw the pain in his eyes both, physical and probably even more emotional.

He needed to call someone, he needed help so he dialled the first number which came to mind, 'Happy?'

'Rhodey?' Happy's voice came through the line, 'what's going on?'

'I need help; I've got a serious problem.' Rhodey kept his voice low, conscious of being overheard.

He looked down at Tony, he had completely lost consciousness now.

'Ok, calm down, what happened?' Happy asked calmly.

'Is Pepper with you?'

'Yes, she's fine, what happened where are you?' Happy asked.

'I'm at Tony's, there are men in the house, I've subdued them temporarily but they'll be back any time now, and Tony's down, I, I don't know if he's ok.' Rhodey muttered.

'Tony's down?' Pepper's panicked voice shot through, 'what happened?'

'I'm not sure, the powers out; I can't see if there're any external injuries,' Rhodey tried to explain everything as calmly as possible, 'one of the men shot at me, they must have the whole house rigged, everything is under surveillance, the workshop is in complete darkness, the reactor looks like it's weaker than usual, his pulse is weak.'

'Ok, calm down, do you know who the men are?' Happy asked calmly.

Rhodey looked down at Tony, his face looked completely still, his swallowed hard, 'no, but I don't have War Machine here, I don't have anything, they're going to kill him.'

'Oh god, they lied.' Pepper's voice broke through the silence.

'What, who lied?' Happy asked her.

'Rick, probably the man who shot at Rhodey, he said he would kill Tony if I didn't leave, oh god, Tony, what did I do?' She began to cry, 'he's going to die thinking that I hate him.' She sobbed.

Rhodey looked down at his friend, it made sense, _she's gone_, he reached for his wrist again, 'his pulse is weak, I don't know what to do, we're stuck down here.'

'I'm going to try the Mark Three armour; it's the closest to the War Machine.' Rhodey said quietly, 'but I don't know if I can do anything, they nearly killed him when he took them on.'

Pepper's sobs echoed through the phone, Happy cleared his throat, 'Rhodey, be careful, these people are serious business, Pepper told me about them.'

Rhodey nodded to himself, 'I know, Romanov told me, this is bad Hap, if we don't get Tony the cure he's dead, within the hour, and anything I do is for nothing.'

'What can we do?' Happy offered.

'I don't know.' Rhodey said quietly.

'Rhodey, please, what do we do?' Pepper pleaded.

'I don't know Pep, I honestly don't, _he_ planned everything, I don't know what to do.' Anger filled him; he couldn't even help his friend, 'I'm so sorry,' he whispered to Pepper as much as he did to Tony.

'No, no please Rhodey, you can, the suits, there are override functions I know them, you can use one of his suits, please.' She cried and his heart broke.

He knew there were override functions; he knew he could get into one of the suits, but what then? Tony, Iron Man himself couldn't defeat these guys. And what's more, Tony lay there, dying, what could _he_ do that Tony couldn't.

'Rhodey please!' Her voice broke on the other end of the phone, 'you can't let him die!'

'Don't you think I know that?' He spat, he had never raised his voice, he'd never yelled at Pepper like this, he closed his eyes in the dark and took a deep breath, 'I'm sorry, I know, I'm trying, I'll hold them off as long as I can.'

A crackled voice broke through the silence, 'I know you're trying to think of some heroic way to save your friend down there, but the truth is, there's nothing you can do, he's dying whether you defeat me or not, his heart has taken about as much as it can, he's not making it out of this one Colonel.'

The double meaning laced in his words infuriated him; he stood up, determined to do something. He had to.

'Too little too late.' Dragon laughed.

Rhodey heard the muffled gasp on the line, Pepper had heard, he shook his head, how the hell could he have gotten in through Tony's security?

'Pep, take the flash drive and go somewhere safe with Happy, don't tell anyone, not even me where you're going, use cash, I'll call Romanov and we'll figure this out.'

'Please don't let him die Rhodey, please help him.' Pepper pleaded, her voice broke into uncontrollable sobs.

'Don't worry, he'll fight through this, he'll come back to us.' Rhodey said quietly.

He heard Happy trying to pacify her to no avail. Guilt must have finally crept up on her, Tony had no idea why she did it, Rhodey had never seen anyone as broken as he was, the pain in his eyes was unimaginable.

He didn't believe his own words to Pepper, Tony _would_ fight to come back, for her, now that he thought she was gone from his life, he shuddered to think that he would perhaps welcome the dark and fight to _not _come back.

'He'll fight through it.' He reiterated, trying to convince himself as well.

He disconnected the call and moved back to Tony, he tried to shake him awake, 'bud, I need your help, I'm really lost right now.'

Tony stirred ever so slightly under Rhodey's touch, a soft groan escaped his lips, 'so tired.'

'I know you are, but I need your help.' Rhodey tried to shake him awake again as his head lolled to the side.

'I can't.' He whispered.

'You can, if anyone can help, _you_ can, come on Tony, wake up.' Rhodey shook him again.

'Can't,' he breathed, 'I can't.'

'You can, wake up Tony, they're going to find Pepper, we need to keep her safe.' He hated lying to him like this, but he needed a push, a reason to _live_.

Tony's eyes shot open and he shook his head, every movement looked like it was excruciating, 'no, she's safe now, she's gone.'

Rhodey nodded, 'she's going to come back because you're hurt, she's going to come back to tell you she's sorry so you need to get up, if she comes back they'll kill her.'

'No, she did the right thing, she's safer without me, she made the right choice.' Tony's words were slurred.

Rhodey looked away from him, he couldn't bear to look at him like this, his mind had started deteriorating so quickly.

'Tony, listen to me,' he lowered his face so that they were inches away, 'she loves you, everything she said was a lie, Dragon made her do it, he _forced_ her to leave, do you understand?'

Tony's eyes struggled to focus on Rhodey's, 'no, she…she told me this was a joke, she left, she's gone.'

Rhodey bowed his head, 'she didn't mean it, any of it, Dragon told her that if she didn't leave he would kill you, she was trying to protect you.'

'Really?' Tony looked up at him.

'Really, come on, we've got one last shot of your serum, enough to kick this guy's ass and finish this.'

Rhodey helped Tony so that he was sitting upright; he quickly found the syringe and last vial of liquid, 'this is the last dose, we have to work quickly after this.'

The familiar burn spread through Tony's veins as Rhodey pushed the syringe through his skin.

'I can't help much, the Extremis, my mind.' Tony's words became harder to understand.

Rhodey shook his head, 'you're still Tony and I won't let you slip away, come on.'

After a few moments, he helped Tony up. The color had returned to his face slightly, but he was still far gone, his stomach dropped, was it too late to fix him, he pushed the thoughts way. No good would come from thinking like that.

'Where is she?' Tony managed.

'She's with Happy, she's got the flash drive, I told her to get out of the city, but you know her Tony, she's going to come back and then we'll be in trouble.'

'We need to contact Romanov,' Tony finally found his own feet and made his way over to his desk slowly, 'we're going to need as much help as possible on this one.'

Rhodey rushed over to him in case he needed his help, 'they've got the whole house rigged, they can see everything we do.'

Tony shook his head and slowly sat down at his desk, everything was spinning, and painful, and difficult. He looked down at the keyboard, 'there're a few channels I can try, they can't have hacked them all.'

He cautiously placed his fingers on the keyboard, he was already afraid that his mind was slipping away from him. Against the fear, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'I'm going to try something, let me know if you get anything on that screen there.' Tony pointed to the setup of smart screens on the desk beside his.

'Ok, nothing yet Tony,' Rhodey stood in front of the screens with his arms crossed.

A few moments later, S.H.I.E.L.D's welcome logo appeared, 'we've got it.'

Tony sighed, 'ok, I'm going to try and contact whoever is watching, they've got protocols in place for hacks, they'll try and locate the source, and hopefully that will bring their attention to us.'

Rhodey smiled to himself; despite everything Tony was going through he was still as brilliant as always. A true genius' mind at work, he stepped back and let him work, only speaking when Tony asked him something, interruptions would be detrimental, so he watched on in silence.

'Ok, they've taken the bait, now we wait, and hopefully they're as efficient as I think they are.' Tony leaned forward pressing his hand to his face.

'They're not going to wait forever to come down here, Tony, we need a plan.' Rhodey said finally breaking the silence.

'I've got a plan, not sure how sane it is but it's all I've got.' Tony looked at him sideways.

Rhodey looked around the work shop, 'we've got seven suits here, we can do something with them.'

Tony nodded, 'I don't know how much I can do with this core, it's been through a lot and I'm pretty sure I'm running on backup power.'

'How long will that give you in the suit?' Rhodey wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.

Tony looked back at the screen, 'without Jarvis, I don't know, but I would imagine less than an hour.'

Rhodey nodded, 'then this is a very important hour.'

* * *

**Ooooh, on to the next, so much to do, so much to be excited about :)**


	40. Chapter 40

**Oh My goodness...I"M BACK! so it's been 3 months, and i'm really sorry it's taken so long...so for those who are still reading, without further ado, enjoy :)**

* * *

It _ was _an important hour, Tony knew it was, he also knew he was terrified. Whatever he did, he didn't think it would be enough. At least with all the "_planning"_ they were doing, Rhodey was off his back. He knew he couldn't handle him hovering and forcing him to do something when he knew there was nothing he could do.

'Romanov is on her way, we need her on the roof she'll know what to do.' Tony explained.

Rhodey nodded as he followed Tony around the work shop as he made and put the plans into motion, 'what can I do?'

Tony didn't stop to look at him, there was nothing he could do, instead he lied, 'I need you to monitor these for me, as soon as it gets below this line I'm out, I won't be able to stand much less fight.' He continued keying in commands.

'Why do you have to go out there?' Rhodey said finally, 'why can't we both go? Or wait for clearance from Romanov, or the avengers?'

Tony found himself leaning against the desk, he closed his eyes and sighed heavily, 'because no one is going to die because of me, I can take care of this, so I'm going to.' He turned and looked at Rhodey.

A silent nod was all the confirmation he needed that Rhodey understood.

'Romanov is going to help as much as she can, it's the most important part, whatever he's using is as powerful as the Teseract, if she can jam the signal, I can do the rest.' Tony returned to keying in the final commands.

Rhodey stayed quiet while Tony worked, he thought back to the days of MIT, most people couldn't even scratch the surface of how his mind worked, or how quickly he processed things.

He looked on in awe as he worked harder and faster all the while facing his mortality. He had known men in the field, trained men who didn't take to what Tony took to, so easily. Whether it was easy for him, well that was an entirely different question.

'We're set.' Tony said, breaking Rhodey out of his thoughts.

'Let's go.' Rhodey insisted.

Tony checked off some final notes, and proceded to let Karvis open the doors.

They braced themselves, before another thought could pass between them, three men barged in through the doors and opened fire, Rhodey took to his training to defend himself, he leaped behind a desk and pulled out his own weapon and started shooting.

'Take cover, stay down!' he yelled over the gun fire to Tony.

Tony had taken refuge behind the large, bullet-proof desk; he thanked himself for ordering months ago. Pepper had laughed at him, 'bullet proof desk, please.' He'd argued with her and finally convinced her it was a great idea, being Iron Man and all; it _could_ come in handy one day.

'I'm fine, do your thing.' Tony yelled back.

The firing between the men and Rhodey continued as Tony glanced down at his watch, _three, two, one, action_. He flattened himself against the ground as a large explosion ripped through the workshop. Tony covered his ears and crawled on his elbows to look out at his handy work.

The gunfire had ceased and Rhodey stood by the doors, 'going to take a lot to get this looking good again.' He picked up a small, tattered piece of what once was a very nice car.

Tony got up slowly, 'needed a change anyway, it was getting old.' Tony said with his usual smile, 'you ok?'

Rhodey dusted the debris off his shirt and made his way to the middle of the room, 'they'll be coming down any minute.'

Tony looked at the doorway, 'if they're smart, they won't.'

'Natasha's in place, ready when you are.' Rhodey announced as his phone beeped to notify him.

Tony glanced down at his reactor; the glow had become faint, almost flickering now. He locked eyes with Rhodey, at this point; they both knew there was a very small chance he would be walking out of this.

'Tony.' Rhodey began.

Tony turned away from him before he could say any more; he was met with a sudden burst of electricity which spiked through the air. It ripped through the workshop in a wave of fury and with it blew all the furniture into the air and threw them both back.

Rhodey landed hard against a wall, blocked in by a desk which landed beside him, Tony was thrown against the stairs to the workshop, he raised himself up on his elbows as the ringing in his ears subsided.

He looked around in horror as the electricity charged almost everything in its way including him and his arc reactor. He felt the air get sucked out of him, as confusion ran through his mind he heard Rhodey yelling behind him, another wave of electricity shot through the room, he noticed the walls, his cars, the computers surrounded by a menacing blue hue. As the electricity pulsed though the room he felt the heat rising within his body, the reactor was burning him, he felt his skin burning.

He closed his eyes as the next breath ripped through his body. Pain shot through his chest as he dropped to his knees, a sharp hiss escaped his lips.

Noise, so much noise rang through his ears, he slowed his breathing down as much as he could, he pushed the voices out of his mind, 'get up Stark' he muttered to himself.

With as much force as he could muster he got to his feet and allowed himself to rest against the wall behind him. A look of sheer terror from Rhodey met his gaze, he tried to nod to him, to tell him that he was ok, but his body refused to listen, instead he gave him a solemn look before heading toward the stairs.

'Tony don't!' He heard Rhodey call out to him, 'don't do this, stick to the plan!' He was stuck between the wall and a desk which had flown across the room, all he could do was look on.

'This _is_ the plan!' Tony yelled back, before he could change his mind he closed the workshop door behind him, 'don't open this door for anyone J, not even me, got it?' he breathed.

'Of course sir,' came the cool reply.

Tony smiled sadly to himself; he could have sworn he detected emotion in the A.I's voice.

* * *

A serene silence befell the Malibu house as he found himself walking to meet his fate. Rubble from the shoot-out Rhodey had managed to escape from was evident beneath every step he took, glass lay shattered beneath his feet as it crunched with agonising reminders of his mortality.

How Dragon had managed to infiltrate Jarvis, and his security systems was beyond him, he knew there were people who were good out there, he was arrogant to believe that he was the best, now he was going to pay for his arrogance.

'So the man of Iron has come out to play?' The voice which echoed through Tony's mind finally came to stand before him.

Tony smirked, false confidence radiating from within, 'so I have.'

'You know that you're not walking away from this.' Dragon said firmly, a curious smile forming on his face.

'Maybe, but neither are you.' Tony replied coolly.

Before Dragon made his move, Tony called on the gauntlets which assembled themselves around his arms. He knew he didn't have enough time, nor the strength to summon the rest of the armour, he knew this was his end and he was ok with that. He was content, Pepper was safe, Rhodey was safe and Happy would look after them both.

He was hit with repeated blows from Dragon's magic. Constant blows of energy met with his stomach, he lurched forward clutching at his chest and the short circuiting the reactor. A familiar metallic taste assaulted his lips. He sighed, mentally chastising himself for being weak. _Suck it up, keep fighting_! The electricity Dragon was somehow channelling was far more painful to deal with than the consistent blasts of energy which hit him.

'Have you had enough yet, Stark?' Dragon laughed as his opponent stumbled forwards.

Tony looked up at him, tears welled up in his eyes, he blinked them back before raising both hands and firing with everything he had within him, the ever growing pain in his chest increased exponentially, he bit back the yell which was threatening to escape.

'You can't beat me Stark.' Dragon yelled over the noise of repulsors and electric currents which raged throughout the house.

The repulsors were powerful, they didn't take Dragon down, but he wasn't as confident as he appeared before, and that was a start.

A satisfied smirk graced Tony's face, 'are you sure about that?'

Dragon hissed back at the quip, 'you're out of your depth, and I _will_ destroy you.'

Tony knew he had caused enough damage to Dragon's façade that it gave him a boost of strength he needed to finish this. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and faced Dragon, he held his body as steadily as he could manage, Dragon swayed slightly in his spot.

_Come on Romanov, hurry. _Tony looked at him anticipating his next move.

Dragon moved forward and Tony held his stance, as much as he wanted to finish this right here, he couldn't, he didn't have nearly as much strength as he needed to take him down, whatever magic Dragon was using was powerful, almost on the same level as the Tesseract, he swallowed the lump in his throat, it made sense now, the same power from the same source.

_Hope you know what you're doing Romanov. _Tony tried to gather himself.

Dragon stumbled toward him; he held his hands up and blasted Tony, only this time the power was nowhere near as strong as it had been, he scowled at the lack of pain it caused to Tony, 'looks like we'll have to do this the old fashioned way.' He laughed as he loaded the gun in his hands.

Tony stepped back and raised his hands toward Dragon and powered up the repulsors, he could feel the energy draining from his body and from the reactor which kept him alive.

Dragon looked to be in the same predicament as Tony; whatever was stopping his power was also draining Tony's. Without hesitation he fired at him, the blast hit Dragon right in the chest. The force pushed him backwards; his men who were formally standing by, now made their way to Tony, guns drawn.

Tony turned his attention to them and with one move took them out and they all collapsed to the ground. He frowned at the power which he had to waste on them.

Dragon looked up at Tony, slight panic on his face this time.

'What's happening to me?' He asked as he looked down at his hands, the bright blue glow which normally adorned them, was gone. Instead he looked at Tony with confusion and anger

A smirk crossed Tony's face, he knew what was happening but he just needed to know for sure. He tuned into the radio signals which he reserved for S.H.I.E.L.D and Jarvis, a smile found his lips, Romanov, she had enough experience with the Tesseract in New York. She was blocking the signal the same way she did last time, with Loki's septor. Tony's mind raced looking for conclusions as to why he was losing power, he was sure she wouldn't use an EMP, it would kill him. Then the lonely thought dawned on him. Nothing was blocking his power. He was simply dying.

As the thoughts raced in his mind, Dragon had already regained his footing and stepped toward Tony with his gun drawn, as he fired the shot Tony finally released the power which he was building up, the Uni beam from the reactor hit Dragon and threw him backwards, the whole house was plunged into darkness.

'J, did I do it?' Tony whispered as his own world began to fade into darkness.

* * *

**I hope someone at least enjoyed it :) New chapter is nearly done, I'm off to QLD tomorrow, so I may not post until Sunday! But Who saw the amazing IM3 trailer which came out today? OMG so excited !**


	41. Chapter 41

**Sorry everyone for a short chapter, I didn't want to make you all wait again! Hope someone is still with me, and thanks for the wonderful reviews, makes me feel so loved :)**

* * *

No reply came from Jarvis, instead he heard hurried footsteps and someone caught him as he felt himself drop to his knees.

The gauntlets unlatched themselves from his arms and collapsed in a heap beside him, he felt his chest burning and what he assumed was blood, escaping the corners of his mouth.

'Tony?' Rhodey gripped his shoulder trying to keep him awake, he cradled his head in his lap, 'Christ Tony, talk to me, open your eyes.'

A gargled sound was the only reply Rhodey got, Tony's eye lids became heavy, and the luring blanket of darkness beckoned. He smiled weakly at the warmth which was waiting and closed his eyes.

'Tony, stay with me buddy, keep your eyes open, focus on me, help is on the way.' Rhodey looked around desperately; his search for a working phone was cut short when Tony's laboured breathing ceased.

'Jesus, Tony, stay with me, Jarvis, we need help!' He yelled to A.I. a desperate call for help, he felt tears escape his eyes as the lifeless body of his best friend lay in his arms, 'Jarvis!'

'Jarvis system is online, my systems were rebooted Colonel Rhodes, help is on the way.'

'Thank you.' Rhodey whispered, he shook him with force, he couldn't think, he didn't know what to do, he didn't know what happened, so much noise filled the house before everything went dark, he couldn't work out what happened, 'come on Tony, please stay with me, help is on the way.'

Rhodey rubbed his face, a sickening feeling hit him, he reluctantly looked down at his hands, blood, Tony's blood. He raised Tony as best as he could, and let out a painful sob as the pool of blood which welled under him escaped.

'Jarvis, tell them to hurry!' He yelled.

A loud whine of sirens sounded in the near distance, footsteps ran through the door and knelt beside Tony.

'What's his condition?' Natasha spoke quickly as the two S.H.I.E.L.D paramedics began to move Tony onto a stretcher.

Rhodey wiped his hands against his jeans, 'gunshot wound, looks through and through, he's been unconscious for about three minutes, and he's lost a lot of blood.' He looked at her helplessly.

She nodded as they watched the paramedics carry him away.

Natasha got to her feet, 'they'll look after him.'

Rhodey tried to step around her, Natasha took hold of his arm.

'Hey, hey he'll be ok.' She tried to reassure him.

He eventually stepped back and nodded, 'don't let him die.'

Natasha, satisfied with his response, took out her phone and walked away from him.

"Where is he?' Pepper rushed into the mansion, fighting away the small group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents who tried to stop her, 'Rhodey!' She screamed as they tried to hold her back, Happy right on her heel.

'It's ok, it's alright she's with us.' Natasha spoke to the agents and they immediately parted.

Pepper ran into Rhodey's arms, 'please tell me he's ok Rhodey, please.' She looked up with tears in her eyes.

'He'll be ok, I know it.' Rhodey whispered against her hair. His own tears deceiving his words.

Happy wrapped his arms around both of them. Natasha walked away, and was met by the rest of the Avengers, all offering support to each other.

'Colonel Rhodes, we need a few minutes of your time.' Natasha stood before them, 'please.'

He nodded, leaving Pepper with Happy.

'I only blocked the power source Dragon was using; it shouldn't have interfered with Tony, what happened?' Natasha asked quietly.

Rhodey closed his eyes, 'he ran out of time, we never found the cure he needed.'

Natasha nodded silently, 'does Pepper know?'

'No.' he whispered finally.

'We need to tell her.' Natasha whispered.

Rhodey nodded, 'I'll do it.'

* * *

He left her side, not knowing how to even begin. He spotted Pepper leaning against the one window which was still standing. Her forehead rested against the glass as silent tears fell down her cheeks.

'Hey, Pep.' Rhodey barely heard the words leave his mouth.

She turned to face him with a weak smile, 'hey.'

Happy came to join them as soon as he saw Rhodey enter, 'how is he?'

Rhodey shrugged, 'they're doing the best they can, the bullet wound should be easy enough, but…'he trailed off.

'The Extremis.' Pepper finished.

'He didn't have much time left, he fought as hard as he could, he beat them, it's over.' Rhodey muttered.

Pepper looked down at her hands, she somehow knew this would come, it was inevitable, but it didn't hurt any less, then without warning her eyes shot up and caught Rhodey's, 'no, no it's not, we have the chip, the files he needed for the cure.' She reached into her pocket and retrieved the lock chip and handed it to him.

A spark in his eyes showed his understanding, 'Banner!' He called over the noise the S.H.I.E.L.D team were making colleting Dragon and his men.

Brue came rushing over to them along with Natasha. Rhodey thrust the lock chip into Bruce's hand, 'Tony doesn't have much time, this should be everything we need to solve this once and for all.'

Natasha looked at him questioningly, Bruce finally took the chip and nodded, he had no time to waste. He stumbled through the rubble and made his way down the flight of stairs to Tony's workshop.

He pushed his way through the battle scarred room, and stepped his way over to the remnants of one of Tony's work stations. He found one laptop which remained intact.

They stood around him waiting, watching, and anticipating. Natasha stood by with her phone in hand, ready to make any calls should she need to.

Finally Bruce spoke up looking to Natasha, 'I need you to contact the paramedics, I need them on standby to administer this.' Bruce explained as he began deciphering the information on the lock chip.

Natasha nodded quickly and made the call, 'they're on standby.' She announced.

Bruce looked up at her, and then at the others, 'I think it's done, it's ready.'

Pepper, Happy and Rhodey all exchanged nervous glances, Bruce had been theirs, and Tony's saviour before, and they held all hope in him again.

Rhodey nodded, 'do it, make the call.'

Pepper looked to Natasha, 'take me to him, please.'

Natasha agreed and immediately led her up the stairs, 'the helicarrier is close by.' She explained.

Pepper simply followed her silently as they made their way into the waiting transport, the five minute flight seemed never ending, poisonous thoughts entered and raided her mind. She chastised herself for allowing such thoughts to penetrate her. She tried to push them out to no avail.

Bruce was the one fellow scientist Tony trusted as much as he trusted her, so she could trust him too. She allowed that to ease her mind temporarily. But the ease wouldn't be permanent until she had Tony in her sight, until he had her in his arms.

As they landed a small squeeze of her hand brought her back to reality, 'we're here,' Natasha smiled gently.

Pepper returned her smile and followed her, she didn't know what was waiting for her or Tony, but she knew whatever it was, he wouldn't be alone, she would be there with him, the way it should have been all along. Her heart tensed at the inconceivable possibility that she wouldn't speak with him again, hold him or tell him she loved him. She knew she would explain everything when he woke up. _ If _he woke up…

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**IRON MAN 3 in 43 days in Aust! So damn excited and every time I watch the new trailer I get so giddy...gah!**


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N...So here we are, at the end of another story, it's been quite a ride for me, I must say.**

**A lot went on in the short part of the year thus far, I've lost a family member, friendships have broken up, people have moved on and on another note many positive things have happened too.**

**I've bought my first house, finished my first novel and started some new projects which I'll be sure to share with you, mostly Iron Man related, surprise surprise!**

**A lot has come about this year which has taught me a lot, it's forced me to stay strong, and push through when normally I think I would have given up and curled up into a ball to cry!**

**So I apologise for the delay with my publishing, and I sincerely thank you all who are still with me J**

**As some of you may know, an unfinished project lays gathering dust, "System Overload" the sequel to 'The Avenged" I've finally picked it up and am excited to share it with you.**

**And without further ado, here is the final chapter to 'One Last Rodeo'**

**Thank you all for the support and reviews! Much love J**

* * *

The helicarrier landed and the paramedics on standby rushed to Tony's side, the lead paramedic jumped down to greet the three ground medics who were waiting, 'prep the theatre, we need to get him in now.'

The sound of the choppers blades was deafening, but the helicarrier crew and medics were more than used to it.

'What have we got?' One of the new medics who greeted them, yelled over the noise.

'Gunshot wound to the abdomen, it looks like it's missed all main arteries, but patient has been unconscious for more than seven minutes now, his breathing is laboured.' The female paramedic called as they rushed him through to the infirmary.

The three new paramedics took it from there and rushed him into the operating theatre.

The surgeon quickly gathered his team and waited for the medics to position Tony on the table, 'we need to operate now,' The surgeon announced as he read over the notes he was handed prior to Tony's arrival, 'the loss of blood is going to be problematic, at best.'

They got to work, every moment Tony was unconscious was another moment closer to a complicated recovery.

Twenty minutes into the surgery a nurse ran in with a phone, 'Dr, it's Agent Romanov, she says it's urgent and in relation to your patient.'

The surgeon looked at her impatiently and finally motioned over to her to press the phone to his ear.

'What is it Agent Romanov?' He spoke quickly, still working on stopping the bleeding from the gunshot wound.

A few moments later his eyes grew wide, he turned to the other doctors in the room, 'ok people, we have new orders from Dr Banner and Agent Romanov.' He motioned for the nurse to pull up the data on one of the screens in the theatre, 'show me.'

The team eagerly watched the instructions flash up on the screen, techniques they'd need to use in order to save Tony's life.

'Everyone understand?' He called out to the team; nods met his gaze, 'then let's get moving.'

Extra staff were brought on board to help with Bruce's request, machinery and monitoring equipment was hooked up to the already placed machines, the staff worked quickly and quietly ensuring everything was ready within minutes.

'This must be one of Stark's concoctions, this is completely nuts.' The surgeon announced to his baffled team who responded with equally bewildered looks.

Without hesitation he finalised the dosage as specified in Bruce's instructions and administered the finalised drug.

The monitoring equipment came to life and started recording the effects of the drug, the nurse switched the call to visual and allowed Bruce to look into the final stages of monitoring. He leaned forward, fingers nervously twisting a broken piece of metal he retrieved from the workshop.

The surgeon looked at Bruce, 'what now?'

Bruce shrugged nervously, 'now we wait.'

'This is somewhat your area of expertise is it not, Dr?' The surgeon asked looking at him intently.

Bruce nodded, 'it is, but I still need to make sure, this wasn't really formulated in ideal circumstances.' They certainly _weren't _ideal. Tony's life hung in the balance between this world and the next while Bruce had to rely on Tony's intricate mathematical calculations on a theoretical cure where he felt he was in way out of his depth, but time waited for no man, he knew he was the only one who could make this work, and Tony trusted him.

'We're all on standby, how long until you know?' The surgeon asked capturing Bruce's attention again.

Bruce looked down at his watch, 'the drug needs sufficient time to get into the blood stream, give it a few minutes.' He twisted the metal between his fingers, nerves verging on the border of insanity, the other guy tethering on the edge, busting to get out.

This wasn't the time; he _needed _to remain calm, to learn to control it. Tony taught him that. A tightness in his chest reminded him of the man he was trying to save, as a doctor he had taught himself to detach any feelings toward his patients, this was different, this patient was his friend. A man who trusted very few people, and when he did it was an honour to be that person. He blinked away the negative thoughts. _This is going to work, it has to._

The surgeon nodded, his team looked on in anticipation, eyes glued to the machines monitoring his vitals, others keeping a close eye on Tony.

Bruce cleared his throat after a few moments of silence, 'everything looks good.'

The surgeon let out a welcomed sigh of relief, 'good, let's clean this up and get him to recovery.'

The nurses assisted in dressing the wound, and cleaning up the superficial injuries on the rest of his body, 'we're done.'

Tony was finally taken to a recovery room which he had seen the inside of, more than most of the other Agents on board put together.

Fury waited by the door and looked over at the hero who lay unconscious before him; a sad smile lined his face. He knew what Tony went through from the first moment he began monitoring him, the struggles he went through and the constant battle to better himself, his technology and the team, the "super-secret boy band" as he so eloquently put it. He laughed to himself before closing the door. He instantly found himself with the highest regard for Miss Potts and the constant worry she must go through on a daily basis.

He made sure Tony was comfortable before heading to meet Natasha and Pepper who had just landed on the deck.

* * *

Bruce pulled up a chair and slumped into it, 'they did it.'

Rhodey let out an exasperated laugh, 'he's ok?'

'He's ok.' Bruce smiled back.

Happy dropped into a chair beside him, 'this was _not_ in the job description.'

Rhodey laughed and all three men exchanged relieved looks, words were not needed to express the relief and joy which filled them.

* * *

'You can go in and see him now, he's asleep but visitors will do him good.' An elderly nurse led Pepper through the dimly lit corridors, 'he's a fighter.' She smiled gently at Pepper and opened the door to his room.

Pepper stepped inside cautiously, 'I know.' She whispered softly.

'We've left the shades open on the window, I'm sure he'd appreciate seeing some day light when he comes to.' The nurse explained as she gave her one final smile and closed the door behind her.

Pepper sighed at the sleeping man before her, 'Tony, you did it.' She took his hand in hers as she seated herself beside him on the bed.

He tensed under her touch as a look of discomfort flashed across his features.

_Darkness_…_pain…._

_There was nothing that could be done now. The decision was made, the plan was in motion. And so I stood in the darkness; watching, waiting…I probably wasn't going to walk away from this, but she was safe._

_Someone calling…voices…I looked around; I couldn't make out where they were coming from._

_A gentle breeze picked up from within the stillness, the cold was refreshing on my bare skin, seldom did I find myself without my armour, seldom did I find an excuse to be without, but today was an exception. I found no better way to face my enemy, than to face him on my terms. Who _was _my enemy? I, I couldn't remember, not really, everything seems to be messed up in my head, why, what happened to me…_

_Darkness closing in..._

_'I'm sorry, sir.' Jarvis offered._

_A familiar voice, I smiled, 'nothing to be sorry about, I did this, I knew there were going to be consequences.'_

_'There should have been more time.' Jarvis said. _

_I nodded, 'yes, this is far too quick, but at least this way I get a say as to how and when I go out, right?'_

'Tony, please come back.' A faint whisper echoed through the dark room, she clasped Tony's hand tighter in hers, 'I know you can hear me, I can see you fighting in there, come back, you can do it.' His eyes darted beneath his lids, Pepper swallowed the lump in her throat, she recognised the erratic actions from the many nightmares she witnessed him having.

_Where was that voice coming from? I looked down at the city scape, tiny dots of light representing life, and plans and the future staring back at me. I knew what was coming, I was waiting for it, I knew I needed to finish this, there is no way I would let them, whoever _they_ were, hurt her, or my friends, or the Avengers, no, I had to finish this now. I stepped forward, to the edge._

'Tony, whatever is happening in there, fight it.' Pepper whispered in his ear.

_Pepper?_

_Pepper wanted more from me; she wanted me to be the man I knew I couldn't be. So here I was; standing at the precipice of the hardest decision I've ever been faced with. But she was safe, she left, she did the right thing, sweet Pepper, her smile, her eyes…_

'Please, Tony, please come back for me, we're safe now.'

_I looked around trying to locate the origin of the voice, it was merely an echo, I tried to find her, the wind was gone and the air was still, the day was merely an eerie afterthought, why was she here? No, no she's meant to be safe, to be far away from here, from me, she left…_

Pepper squeezed his hand tighter in hers, 'come on.' She whispered.

_What is that? I shook my head, I couldn't stop now, I knew it needed to be done, to keep her safe; I stepped closer to the edge…_

'Please… Tony, we're safe now, you can come home,' a faint, desperate whisper in his ear.

_Pepper's panicked voice rang through my ears, I looked around, the darkness began dissipating, slowly trickling away, I couldn't work out where the sound was coming from, the voice, her voice._

'Tony please, please come home, don't do this.'

_I looked around, desperate for any sign, anything to guide me to the right path. Before me the light broke through the clouds, breaking away the darkness once and for all, I smiled at the comfort which came through. _

_I realised then, I need to go back, back to her. _

_I found myself looking over the edge; I was no longer met with a dark city scape dotted with lights in the distance, instead I saw a familiar vision, a comforting blanket of stars and dark skies. I took a leap of faith, I jumped, I felt the air around me, still, quiet…_

_The weightlessness beneath me was an unforgettable feeling of falling, stars surrounding me, the last thing I saw before I fell through the dark portal in the sky, a familiar reminder of the changed man which I have become. But this time I knew I was coming home. I finally closed my eyes._

'Come on Tony, just a little farther.' Pepper encouraged.

Slowly from the dark he emerged, his eyes flickered open, and glanced around the room, his eyes finally meeting with the beautiful blue orbs which he adored so much.

'Hey,' he finally breathed, 'you're here.' He whispered with a weak smile.

Pepper smiled back at him, the last time they saw each other she had walked away, she had told him she didn't want to be with him anymore and she broke off their engagement. His eyes responded with the same sadness which haunted her then.

He gently pulled himself up, aware of the throbbing pain in his side; his nurse would have his neck for pulling the stitches. He found he didn't really care. He pushed the pain aside and sat silently looking at Pepper; reading her, trying to work out what this was and what _they_ were.

His gaze bore into her, looking so deeply into her mind she felt her breath hitch. Despite what people thought about him, he was the most perceptive person she had ever known. The silence was deafening and she finally made a move and wrapped her arms around him and lay her head against his shoulder, 'Tony, I'm so, so sorry, you know I didn't mean any of it.' She whispered against his neck, breathing in every scent of him, remembering every moment she thought they'd never have again.

He finally smiled and returned her embrace, 'I know Pep, its ok.' He stroked her hair, 'we're ok.'

He let out the breath he was holding. He remembered vaguely Rhodey telling him that she didn't mean it, that it was forced on her by Dragon, everything came flooding back, but hearing it from her made him believe it.

She smiled weakly and nodded, 'promise?'

Tony nodded and kissed the top of her head, 'yes.'

He took hold of her hands, enjoying simply being able to hold her in his arms, to feel her and breathe her in, knowing she was here, that she was his.

She smiled through her tears and gently squeezed his hand, 'You did it.'

He pulled back with feigned hurt, 'don't I always?'

She playfully punched him in the shoulder, 'don't ever do that to me again, seriously.'

Tony smiled and nodded, 'agreed.' He took hold of her hand he pulled out the ring from his pocket and slid it back on her finger, 'I don't accept.' He smiled.

Pepper pulled herself closer to him, his arms holding her safely against his body, together they sat in the bed, Pepper's hand on Tony's, her beautiful ring glistening in the morning sun as they looked out over the ocean and the world before them, a reminder that everything _was _going to be ok, and they were here but above everything else, they were together and there _was _a future.

The End…

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**Hope that wasn't too confusing! Looking forward to hearing your feedback :)**

**Take Care and see you soon!**


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